NIKKI BELLAMY: Welcome to the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program,
also known as the CCP.
Whether you’re just starting out or are weeks into providing services,
this video is meant to help you understand how to use
the CCP Mobile Data Collection App during your crisis encounters.
The CCP toolkit contains guides and training materials
to help you build your CCP program.
You will find comprehensive trainings on mobile and online data collection,
including a three-part series about the mobile app,
as well as answers to frequently asked questions.
It’s important to keep in mind that the mobile app is a tool for you
and is designed to help you document the good work
you are doing in your community.
Data collection is an important part of the CCP.
At the national level, FEMA and SAMHSA use the data to inform
the types of outreach and materials needed to reach survivors,
and it helps us prepare counselors like you to meet those needs.
At the local level, the data you collect can help your program leadership decide
when and where to conduct outreach, how best to meet the ongoing needs
of survivors, and if there are special populations of people
in your community that could use extra supports or services.
Collecting information is an essential part of monitoring and evaluating the CCP,
and the mobile app enhances and streamlines the process of data entry.
Watch the following crisis counseling scenarios for guidance and tips
about how you can create an open and trusting relationship
with survivors when using the mobile app to collect data.
JERRY: Can I help you?
JACKIE: Hi there, my name is Jackie, and this is Lynn.
We are here with the State Recovery Project
to provide emotional support to disaster survivors.
We just wanted to check in with you and your family
and see how you’ve been doing and see if there’s anything you need.
Do you have some time to speak with us?
JERRY: Oh yeah, I think the Thompsons mentioned
that you had been over to talk to them the other day.
My wife was wondering if y’all were gonna make it over our way.
JACKIE: It’s very possible we did meet them;
we’ve been going door to door for about a week now,
just getting to know folks and doing our best to help out.
You’ve got a very tight-knit community here, which is really nice to see.
JERRY: Ah, we’ve been here about 30 years.
A lot of folks up and down this road have too.
Guess that storm messed with the wrong town.
JACKIE: Yes it did!
And it looks like you guys don’t have too much damage
to the front of your house here.
But…How are you holding up, though?
It’s not easy to go through something like this.
JERRY: Well, I guess we kind of lucked out.
We’re doing okay, but you can come on in and talk to my wife.
JACKIE: Thank you, lead the way please!
MICHELLE: Hi.
JACKIE: Hi, nice to meet you. I’m Jackie.
MICHELLE: Hi, I’m Michelle.
LYNN: Lynn, nice to meet you.
MICHELLE: Well, why don’t you come on in to the living room.
Ok?
JACKIE: Oh, great. Thank you.
MICHELLE: ... Well, we didn’t have much damage here as you can see.
Just a couple of broken windows and some missing roof shingles.
But the house is still in one piece, and so are the two of us, thank goodness.
We are just fine!
JERRY: Well…I wouldn’t say just fine.
We’ve hardly got any groceries; the only supermarket is gone.
And I heard they closed the interstate.
I don’t know how we’re gonna go any place in my truck except down the road….”
LYNN: That’s right, Jerry; we’re having to use the side roads to get around until
they reopen the interstate in the next few days.
It sounds like the first thing we need to do is make sure you all have enough food.
We know a food shelter set up in the community center on Nelson,
are you familiar with that road?
JERRY: Yes, my son played his ball games up at that community center.
Thank you, thank you for that tip.
LYNN: Can we ask you a few basic questions
so that we can better understand how you’re coping?
JERRY : Sure, that’s fine.
LYNN: I want to tell you that the information that you share with us today
is completely voluntary.
It’s also anonymous, so no personally identifiable information,
no records or case files, are kept.
As Jackie asks you questions, I’ll be using a mobile app on this phone
to capture basic, anonymous information on how survivors in this area are doing,
if that’s okay with you.
JERRY: Do you all work for the government?
JACKIE: The Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program we work for
is funded by the federal government, yes—but Lynn and I are both from the area,
just a few counties over.
Because the program is funded by taxpayer dollars,
we have an obligation to report back on how effective our outreach is.
We only report information like how many people we’ve spoken with.
When any state experiences a disaster like the storm we just had,
we’re asked to keep track of the number of survivors we connect with
so we can show that the program is reaching people who need help.
I’m happy to answer any questions you have.
The information we discuss today is totally anonymous.
Are you okay with Lynn taking notes while we chat?
JERRY: Well, I guess that’ll be alright,
as long as you don’t take down any of my personal information like you said.
JACKIE: Great!
And, just to be clear, we are not able to record any personal information—
this process is designed to be completely anonymous.
So, Jerry, have you been sleeping okay since the storm?
JERRY: Well, now that I think about it…not really.
When I finally relax enough to lie down, my mind starts racing.
Can’t fall asleep.
Slept on the couch a few nights so I didn’t wake Michelle.
She seems to be sleeping okay, right dear?
She’s got those pills, sleeping pills, that help.
JACKIE: Have you been taking these sleeping pills for a while now,
or have you just started taking them since the storm?
MICHELLE: Well, they’re just over-the-counter ones but they help me calm down.
I was having flashbacks to the night of the storm and I couldn’t fall asleep before,
but they really seem to help.
JACKIE: Now, does anything during the day bring up the anxiety
that you experience before bedtime?
JACKIE: I’m happy to answer any questions you have.
Are you okay with Lynn taking notes while we chat?
JERRY: Oh I don’t really like the idea of this being on some record
for someone else to read ... Do you have to?
LYNN: That’s no problem, Jerry.
I’ll put away my phone and we don’t have to collect any information at all
about you or your family.
JACKIE: So, Jerry, have you been sleeping okay since the storm?
NIKKI: What did you notice about these different scenarios
involving the crisis counselors and the survivors?
The crisis counselors built a rapport and engaged Jerry in conversation.
While talking, Lynn explained the purpose of the mobile app
and the information it would and would not collect.
Gaining consent is one of the first steps of the data collection process
and a critical part of your interactions with survivors.
Some people wrongly assume that their personal information is being recorded,
especially when it comes to mental or behavioral health-related issues.
Some people are suspicious of federally run programs
or people who represent the government.
In the first scenario, by reminding Jerry that the data collection was voluntary
and anonymous, Jackie helped him overcome some hesitation.
And in the second scenario,
when Jerry voiced that he did not want any data recorded,
the crisis counselors put away her electronic device
and continued to provide support for the survivors.
Remember that the mobile app is a supporting device;
it does not replace the importance of face-to-face crisis counseling services
and support for disaster survivors that you provide through your individual encounters.
The survivors you encounter may ask you why you’re collecting data,
whether you’re using their personally identifiable information,
and what the data are used for.
These are all valid questions, and ones this video should help you to answer.
Remember that data collection is always anonymous and voluntary.
Keep in mind that data collected directly informs the CCP program
and can help adjust how and where services are distributed
on the ground in your very state.
Let’s watch another potential scenario with our crisis counselors and survivors.
LYNN: … As Jackie asks you questions, I’ll be using a mobile app on my phone
to write in basic, anonymous information about how survivors in this area are doing,
if that’s okay with you?
MICHELLE: Sure, we don’t mind, right dear?
JERRY: Actually, I don’t like the sound of that. I’d rather not ...
JACKIE: Understood. Not a problem.
Let’s just talk about what you’re experiencing,
and we won’t collect any data.
We want to be sure to understand exactly what you need and how we can help;
that’s what we’re here for.
So, Jerry, how have you been sleeping since the storm?
NIKKI: With a program designed to help individual needs and reactions,
it’s hard to predict how any encounter will go.
Sometimes, as we just saw, one individual may have strong opinions
that differ from another family member’s.
We just saw a husband and wife disagree on giving consent,
but the crisis counselors reassured them that the true purpose
of their conversation was to provide assistance and support.
At the end of the day, it’s more important to have an encounter
where you can help survivors and provide valuable resources to help them cope
and manage stress than it is to collect information.
While the app is an easily accessible and reliable option
for collecting data in real-time, keep in mind that it is, more than anything else,
a tool that assists your interactions with survivors.
Nothing can replace the human connection you make.
No electronic tool can help you demonstrate trust, show empathy,
and build a strong rapport with a person in need.
So, learn about the CCP Data Collection Mobile App and use the app—
but remember, the app is much more effective when it’s paired with
crisis counselors who are empathetic, informative,
and supportive to survivors who need your help.
Please visit this website to find resources about the mobile app
and more videos and trainings to help your CCP program.
Thank you for watching this training video,
and thank you for the important work you do.