Community
Caucus Chair David Barber MentalHealthandWellness@iaem.com
Vice Chair Scott Carpenter
Board Liaison
Carrie Speranza, IAEM-USA 1st Vice President
USA1stVP@iaem.com
Staff Liaison Lexi Baird, lexi@iaem.com
IAEM members interested in participating in this caucus should email the caucus staff liaison and tell them how you can contribute to or learn from this caucus's important work.
Policy Guidelines
Our vision is of a profession that prioritizes mental health and wellness in all aspects of the emergency management and response community.
Our mission is to bring mental health and wellness to the forefront of the emergency management and response community, provide a platform where issues are openly addressed, become a critical part of overall emergency management culture, and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues impacting individuals, professionals, and organizations.
The goals of this Caucus are to support the emergency management and response community by:
As a Caucus, one of the impact goals we are supporting this year is a founding initiative to create a Disaster Workforce Wellness Pledge. By committing to the Pledge, we encourage action to invest in the well-being of those working in disasters, to prevent harm, and to build a more resilient disaster workforce.
Recent years have proven to be exceptionally demanding for those who play a critical role in supporting communities before, during and after disasters. The frequency and severity of disasters continue to increase, compounded by sustained and complex activations like the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest. Research shows cumulative and prolonged pressure affects the health and well-being of those working in emergencies. When left unaddressed, these pressures can significantly erode the resilience of the disaster workforce and create alarming risks for its mission-driven members, the organizations they represent, and the communities they serve.
As a Caucus, we recognize and applaud the incredible sacrifices of those who support others on some of the most challenging days of their lives. As disasters continue to increase in impact and frequency, we believe we have an obligation as a field to empower our workforce with the support and resources required to sustain them—and in turn, the communities they serve—through an ever-evolving and more challenging disaster landscape. We encourage you to visit TheDisasterPledge.org to sign up for notifications concerning the live launch of the Pledge and to receive more information on how you or your organization can get involved in this change-making initiative.
Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988 Disaster Distress Helpline: Call or Text 1-800-985-5990; DisasterDistress@samhsa.gov National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273=8255, Press Option 1