Syllabus
Master of Healthcare Administration
HCA 635 – Mental Health in Disaster Management
Credits - 3
Description
Disaster incidents, response, and recovery all have a unique impact on all those involved. This course provides students with an introduction to the emotional and mental health challenges that are attributed to both man-made and natural disasters. Students will consider the mental health impacts of planning and preparation phases of disaster mitigation, as well as the response and recovery phases. Topics include: vulnerability and resilience, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) mental health interventions. In each instance, students will address the needs of both disaster victims and responders.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
Program Outcomes
Student Learning Outcomes: At the conclusion of the MSEM program, the student will be able to:
- Mitigation
- Describe the capabilities of various local, state, federal and tribal organizations that can assist in all four phases of emergency management (Learning Outcome 1 – LO1)
- Evaluate community vulnerabilities in order to establish engineering controls and code enforcement (LO2)
- Preparedness
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- Critically appraise grant and federal/state funding processes to address multiple phases surrounding pre and post-event disaster management (LO3)
- Conduct a hazard risk assessment and SWOT analysis to determine organizational/regional preparedness and training activities (LO4)
- Appraise the impact of climate change related disasters regarding infrastructure, public health, and economic concerns (LO5)
- Response
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- Successfully coordinate an organization’s response to a disaster (LO6)
- Design recommendations to regional, state, or federal officials regarding emergency response action/orders (LO7)
- Assess appropriate proactive and real-time responses to cyberthreat identification (LO8)
- Recovery
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- Establish defined transition criteria from recovery completion to the start of mitigation processes (LO9)
- Compile information to complete a State disaster declaration, Stafford Act grant or Presidential disaster declaration (LO10)
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Course Outcomes
- Understand the concept of a mental health product line within a healthcare system, delineating its components and functions.
- Analyze the diverse spectrum of mental health types of care, providing a concise summary of available treatment modalities and support services.
- Investigate the multifaceted factors influencing mental health operations, examining socio-cultural, economic, and organizational influences.
- Recognize vulnerabilities in mental health operations, discerning gaps arising from both internal and external factors.
- Evaluate the likelihood and potential consequences of disasters on mental health services and employ risk assessment techniques.
- Define mental health’s role within the Disaster Management Cycle and elucidate its contributions to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.
- Highlight the significance of collaboration and coordination with stakeholders in mental health disaster management.
- Acquire the skills to develop and implement a comprehensive mental health disaster plan, integrating theoretical knowledge into practical application.
- Enhance decision-making abilities, fostering critical thinking and sound decision-making under pressure in emergency contexts.
- Examine the impact of emerging technologies on emergency preparedness, response, and recovery efforts in mental health.
- Engage in simulations and exercises to apply knowledge in realistic emergency scenarios, refining response strategies.
- Conduct in-depth research and analysis on specific emergency management topics, utilizing various resources such as research papers, case studies, and presentations.
- Develop an after-action report to identify actionable strategies for improving team preparedness and resilience in emergencies.
Assignments
Discussions
Your discussion posts throughout this course – both initial and response posts – should be substantive and thoughtful, respond to the instructions, and integrate and refer to the course material. You should prioritize course content and limit references to external sources.
Major Assignments
The major assignments in the course include a Mental Health Disaster Management Cycle Presentation (Week 5), the Clinical Service Recall and Accountability Procedure and Checklist (Week 6), and the After Action Report (Week 8)
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Assessment Item | Points |
| Week 1 Assignment | 8 |
| Week 1 Discussion #1 | 4 |
| Week 1 Discussion #2 | 4 |
| Week 2 Assignment | 8 |
| Week 2 Discussion | 4 |
| Week 3 Assignment | 8 |
| Week 3 Discussion | 4 |
| Week 4 Assignment | 8 |
| Week 4 Discussion | 4 |
| Week 5 Assignment | 10 |
| Week 5 Discussion | 4 |
| Week 6 Assignment | 8 |
| Week 6 Discussion | 4 |
| Week 7 Quiz | 8 |
| Week 7 Discussion | 4 |
| Week 8 Assignment | 10 |
Grade Scale
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
| B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
| C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
| D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Schedule
Course learning modules are divided into weeks. Each week starts on Wednesday at 12:00 AM Eastern Time (ET) and closes on Wednesday at 11:59 PM ET, with the exception of Week 8, which ends on Sunday at 11:59 PM ET. All assignments must be submitted by 11:59 PM ET on their due date.
Week 1: Mar 13 – Mar 20
Week 2: Mar 20 – Mar 27
Week 3: Mar 27 – Apr 3
Week 4: Apr 3 – Apr 10
Week 5: Apr 10 – Apr 17
Week 6: Apr 17 – Apr 24
Week 7: Apr 24 – May 1
Week 8: May 1 – May 5
Week 1: Mental Health within Healthcare
Week 1 Discussion – Introduction and Disaster Event Selection
Week 1 Discussion – Mental Health Professions
Week 1 Assignment: SOAP Note
Week 2: Mental Health Planning & Preparation Prior to a Disaster
Week 2 Discussion – Evaluation of Tabletop Exercises in Emergency Management
Week 2 Assignment: Analysis of Mental Health Planning & Preparation in Emergency Management
Week 3: Mental Health Disaster Response
Week 3 Discussion: Event Response Checklist
Week 3 Assignment: Evaluating Mental Health Response in Disaster Management
Week 4: Mental Health Disaster Recovery
Week 4 Discussion: After-Action Report
Week 4 Assignment: Exploring Mental Health Recovery Strategies
Week 5: Review, Recap, and Reapply
Week 5 Discussion: Disaster Management Cycle
Week 5 Assignment: Mental Health Disaster Management Cycle Presentation
Week 6: Mental Health Disaster Activation
Week 6 Discussion: Disaster Activation
Week 6 Assignment: Clinical Service Recall and Accountability Procedure and Checklist
Week 7: Course Reflection
Week 7 Discussion: Reflecting on the Intersection of Disaster Management and Mental Health
Week 7 Quiz
Week 8: Mental Health Post-Disaster Activities
Week 8 Assignment: Response Action Plan
Student Resources
Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Visit the Student Support Healthcare Administration page
APA Style Guide
UNE Libraries:
- Library Access for all students: Your library log-in ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log-into Blackboard/Brightspace.
- MSIN Databases: https://library.une.edu/library-materials/find/research-by-subject/health-informatics/
- Library Tutorial: Find an article
- Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.
UNE Student Academic Success Center
The Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of services to support your academic achievement, including tutoring, writing support, test prep and studying strategies, learning style consultations, and many online resources. To make an appointment for tutoring, writing support, or a learning specialist consultation, go to une.tutortrac.com. To access our online resources, including links, guides, and video tutorials, please visit:
Accommodations
Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.
Policies
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool
The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.
Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.
You can learn more about Turnitin in the Turnitin Student quick start guide.
Information Technology Services (ITS)
ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673
Course Evaluation Policy
Course surveys are one of the most important tools that University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.
Late Policy
Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.
Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
Attendance Policy
Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation. Review the full attendance policy.
Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
UNE Course Withdrawal
Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.