Building Capacity for Responding to Disaster Emotional and Spiritual Needs: A Clergy, Academic, and Mental Health Partnership Model (CAMP)

The purpose of this article is to introduce a clergy, academic, and mental health partnership model (CAMP) that has been used to respond to emotional and spiritual needs which developed in the wake of several disasters affecting the Southeast Gulf Coast region. CAMP was developed to build capacity and infrastructure for facilitating: (a) disaster emotional and spiritual care training, (b) a clergy and mental health provider network, (c) emotional support/resiliency experiences for clergy and mental health providers, (d) community outreach, and (e) direct services to vulnerable populations. Readers will learn about the history, philosophical framework, components, and recommendations for replicating the model. A detailed account will also be provided highlighting how CAMP was implemented in South Mississippi to respond to Hurricane Katrina and more recently to the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill. This article represents this model's first phase of development, and offers a conceptual framework based on the partners' experiences and lessons learned.