Nebraska Disaster Behavioral Health Conference set for July 17

Robin Zagurski

For the sixth year, health professionals, chaplains and first responders will gather in Omaha to learn about the psychological aspects of dealing with disasters, during the Nebraska Behavioral Health Conference.

The conference will be held July 17, at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 555 S. 10th St., in downtown Omaha.

“The training provided at the conference has become increasingly important to all responders, not just behavioral health responders,” said Robin Zagurski, a social worker in the UNMC Department of Psychiatry and one of the conference planners. “There is an increasing awareness that an effective response includes attending to the psychological needs of both survivors and responders.”

Conference attendees will learn:

• Characteristics of adolescent and adult mass murderers;
  
• How children react when their parent is sent on a military deployment and other important discussion topics.

Registration information The fee to attend the conference is $45 if received by July 2. Any registrations received after that date will be charged $55. To register for the conference, visit www.disastermh.nebraska.edu or call Janell Walther at 402-472-5678.

The Nebraska Disaster Behavioral Health conference will be opened by Scot Adams, Ph.D., head of the Division of Behavioral Health at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, who will introduce the new statewide Behavioral Health Emergency Response Team.

Nebraska is the second state in the nation to form a behavioral health emergency response team available to respond to statewide emergencies.

Other presenters at the conference will include:

• Steve Crimando, who will address the pandemic flu response and business continuity issues;
  
• J. Reid Meloy, Ph.D., who will provide training on threat assessment issues of adult and adolescent mass murders;
  
• Robin Gurwitch, Ph.D., who will address working with children in military families who have a parent that is deployed;
  
• Fran Norris, Ph.D., a premier researcher who will explain how to evaluate the effectiveness of disaster mental health programs; and
  
• Robert Snarr of the Utah Department of Human Services who will discuss that state’s response to the mine disaster and Trolley Square shootings, as well as planning for the Olympics.

The conference is sponsored by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center, the UNMC Department of Psychiatry, BryanLGH Medical Center, the Southeast Medical Response System and the Omaha Metropolitan Medical Response System.