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Contact Information:

Disaster Mental Health Institute
The University of South Dakota - SDU 114
414 East Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57069-2390
phone: +1 (605) 677-6575
phone2: +1 (800) 522-9684
fax: +1 (605) 677-6604
dmhi@usd.edu

Last Modified: 03/16/06

Academic Components of the DMHI Center of Excellence

The undergraduate and graduate academic programs of the DMHI Center of Excellence received final approval January 21, 1999 by the South Dakota Board of Regents.  In addition to the undergraduate and graduate programs, the DMHI recognizes the need for continuing education for professionals in the field.  The Disaster Mental Health Institute is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. The DMHI maintains responsibility for the program. 

DMHI Academic Programs

Undergraduate Components

Graduate Components

Undergraduate Minor in
Disaster Response

Doctoral Specialty Track in
Clinical/Disaster Psychology

Specialization in Disaster Response
for
Psychology Majors

Graduate Certificate in
Disaster Mental Health

Continuing Education Program
(this link will take you to a separate page)

Undergraduate Minor in Disaster Response

This minor requires 18 hours (15 required, 3 elective) of courses in disaster response, including both theoretical and practical course work. It provides skills useful in any career and to any citizen, as well as skills that will be useful to students hoping to pursue a career in mental health. This minor is not available to psychology majors (see Specialization in Disaster Response for Psychology Majors below)     

Required courses include: 15 hours

      PSYC 255, Introduction to Disaster Response, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 256, Psychological First Aid, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 258, Children and Trauma, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 359, Practicum in Disaster Response, 3 credit hours, and
      PSYC 456, Introduction to Disaster Psychology, 3 credit hours.

Elective courses include: 3 hours

      PSYC 455, Advanced Disaster Response, 1-3 credit hours
      PSYC 457, Directed Readings in Disaster, 1-3 credit hours
      PSYC 458, Directed Research in Disaster, 1-3 credit hours
      PSYC 459, Advanced Seminar: Selected Topics in Disaster, 1-3 credit hours
      SOC 100, Introduction to Sociology, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 241, Social Psychology, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 429, Psychology of Safety, 3 credit hours     

Performance Requirement

Students pursuing the Minor in Disaster Response are required to maintain a "B" average in courses applied to the minor. Students completing the coursework for the Minor in Disaster Response are required to take a nationally normed assessment of problem solving and to successfully perform a capstone exercise.

Capstone Exercise

The capstone exercise will be judged by an external team composed of disaster response personnel who are members of the DSHR, the ARC national disaster team. These examiners will be asked to compare the performance of these students on a practical disaster response examination with the skills and knowledge of entry level disaster response personnel with whom they have worked in disaster.

Alumni of the minor will be tracked to determine if they continue participation in disaster response and community service.

Courses Eligible to be Psychology Electives for Psychology Majors:

Three of these new courses are also acceptable electives for psychology majors (at least at USD): Psychological First Aid, Children and Trauma, and Introduction to Disaster Mental Health.

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Specialization in Disaster Response for Psychology Majors

Since the undergraduate Minor in Disaster Response is a psychology minor, psychology majors may not use it as a minor. The USD Department of Psychology will allow undergraduate psychology majors to complete a Specialization in Disaster Response. (Psychology departments at other campuses are also welcome to offer this specialization if they choose.) This specialization requires six hours beyond the 31 hours which is the minimum requirement for psychology majors at USD.

Required courses include: 15 hours

      PSYC 255, Introduction to Disaster Response, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 256, Psychological First Aid, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 258, Children and Trauma, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 359, Practicum in Disaster Response, 3 credit hours, and
      PSYC 456, Introduction to Disaster Psychology, 3 credit hours.

Elective courses include: 3 hours

      PSYC 455, Advanced Disaster Response, 1-3 credit hours
      PSYC 457, Directed Readings in Disaster, 1-3 credit hours
      PSYC 458, Directed Research in Disaster, 1-3 credit hours
      PSYC 459, Advanced Seminar: Selected Topics in Disaster, 1-3 credit hours
      SOC 100, Introduction to Sociology, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 241, Social Psychology, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 429, Psychology of Safety, 3 credit hours     

Students completing the Psychology Specialization in Disaster Response are required to also complete all requirements for the Psychology Major. Therefore, psychology majors wishing to complete the specialization need to complete six hours beyond the 31 hours which is the minimum requirement for psychology majors at USD.

Performance Requirement

Students completing the Psychology Major Specialization in Disaster Response are required to maintain a "B" average in courses applied to the Specialization. Students are required to successfully perform a capstone exercise to complete the Specialization. They are also required to complete the Graduate Record Examination subject test in psychology and submit their scores to the DMHI.

Capstone Exercise

The capstone exercise will be judged by an external team composed of disaster response personnel who are members of the DSHR, the ARC national disaster team. These examiners will be asked to compare the performance of these students on a practical disaster response examination with the skills and knowledge of entry level disaster response personnel with whom they have worked in disaster.
Alumni of the psychology major Specialization in Disaster Response will be tracked to determine if they continue participation in disaster response and community service, and whether they pursue graduate training in mental health fields.


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Doctoral Specialty Track in Clinical/Disaster Psychology 
    
Within the USD American Psychological Association-accredited doctoral Clinical Psychology Training Program in psychology, a Doctoral Specialty Track in Clinical/Disaster Psychology is offered.

Total semester credit hours: 21     

Required courses: 18 hours

      PSYC 655, Crisis Intervention, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 656, Disaster Mental Health, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 657, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 658, Serving the Diverse Community in Disaster, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 754, Introduction to Behavior Therapy, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 780, Rural Community Mental Health (a required Clinical Training Program Course)

Elective Courses: 3 hours

      PSYC 659, International Disaster Psychology, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 755, Management in Disaster Mental Health, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 757, Directed Readings in Disaster Psychology, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 758, Directed Research in Disaster Psychology, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 759, Selected Topics in Disaster Psychology, 3 credit hours

If a student chooses all her or his elective courses from this pool of disaster courses, he or she only needs to take nine hours beyond the minimum courses required for the doctoral clinical degree. All students in the specialty track are required to complete all requirements for the clinical doctoral degree as well as the requirements for the Doctoral Specialty Track in Clinical/Disaster Psychology. Doctoral students pursuing this specialty track are required to complete their theses and/or their dissertations in a trauma- or disaster-related field of psychology.

Performance Requirement:

A grade of "C" or lower in any course required for the Doctoral Specialty Track in Clinical/Disaster Psychology will be unacceptable and will necessitate the student repeating the course if he/she wishes to complete the specialty track.

Capstone Exercise:

Students in the Doctoral Specialty Track in Clinical/Disaster Psychology are required to complete a tabletop disaster response scenario simulation for the DMHI faculty and national figures in the field. This will provide a capstone measure of the student's mastery of Clinical/Disaster Psychology. The goal for this assessment is that all students will be evaluated by the national team members as superior to entry level disaster mental health personnel.


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Graduate Certificate in Disaster Mental Health

The DMHI offers a Graduate Certificate in Disaster Mental Health to graduate students in accredited master's level counseling, psychiatric nursing, and marriage and family therapy programs, to students in doctoral programs in clinical and counseling psychology, and students in psychiatric residency programs. (The actual certificate is not awarded until graduation from one of these programs.) This certificate is also available to existing licensed mental health professionals. Licensed mental health professionals may complete the graduate certificate through continuing education or for graduate credit.

Total semester credit hours: 12

Required courses: 9 hours

      PSYC 655, Crisis Intervention, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 656, Disaster Mental Health, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 658, Serving the Diverse Community in Disaster, 3 credit hours

Elective Courses: 3 hours

      PSYC 659, International Disaster Psychology, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 657, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 755, Management in Disaster Mental Health, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 757, Directed Readings in Disaster Psychology, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 758, Directed Research in Disaster Psychology, 3 credit hours
      PSYC 759, Selected Topics in Disaster Psychology, 3 credit hours

All graduate students enrolled in mental health programs who wish to receive the Graduate Certificate in Disaster Mental Health are required to complete all requirements for their degrees in addition to the requirements for the proposed certificate.

Performance Requirement:

A grade of "C" or lower in any course required for the graduate certificate is unacceptable and necessitates the student repeating the course if she/he wish to complete the certificate.

Capstone Exercise:

Students in the Graduate Certificate program are required to complete a tabletop disaster response scenario for the DMHI faculty and national figures in the field, which normally takes place at the end of the Summer Intensive Program. This provides a capstone measure of the success of the graduate certificate program. The goal for this assessment is that all students will be evaluated by the national team members as superior to entry level disaster mental health personnel.

Return to list of DMHI academic programs

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