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Correspondence and reprint requests to Stephanie Felder, Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Rockville, MD 20857 (e-mail: [email protected]).

One of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) most innovative resources is the SAMHSA Behavioral Health Disaster Response App (SAMHSA Disaster App, see Figure 1). In a disaster, it is essential that behavioral health responders have the resources they need—when and where they need them. The SAMHSA Disaster App was designed via a research-informed, user-centric process. Subject matter expertise to inform the development of content for disaster response and responders’ needs was provided by representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Defense, the American Red Cross, the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and other government and academic organizations.

Prior to the release of the SAMHSA Disaster App, 8 qualitative interviews were conducted to measure usability and practicality. The participants were a convenience sample, chosen because each had 5 or more disaster-related deployments and a minimum of 11 years of disaster work experience; moreover, they were considered subject matter experts in the disaster behavioral health field. The interview process consisted of 1-hour semi-structured interviews that were audio-recorded. The participants were provided a sample SAMHSA Disaster Kit and SAMHSA Disaster App download before the interview and were specifically asked questions regarding the usefulness of both items, prominent behavioral health needs and concerns following an emergency, and what features and information are most helpful in responding to a disaster scenario. Additionally, the participants were provided an opportunity to provide general feedback regarding their evaluation of the SAMHSA Disaster App.

The 8 interviews yielded the following key findings:

  • The SAMHSA Treatment Locator is a critical component in the usefulness of the app and the ability to preload treatment locations was considered a...

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