THE RED PAGES INTRODUCTION

August 1, 2004 On April 20, 1999, the deadliest school shooting in the nation happened in Littleton, Colorado at Columbine High School, home of over 2,000 students. We never imagined it could happen here. One of the biggest challenges from the very beginning was communication and the need to get information out to the community. Shortly after September 11, 2001, Governor Owens sent a state delegation to Washington DC to participate in the SAMHSA Bioterroism Summit, When Terror Strikes: Addressing The Nation’s Mental Health And Substance Abuse Needs. Members of the delegation returned and formed work groups to address preparedness in a variety of areas. A recommendation of the Public Education and Coordination of Statewide Media Workgroup was to publish a directory of emergency contact information for mental health Public Information Officers, Disaster Coordinators, and others involved in disaster response. The result is the RED PAGES, a quick reference guide for communication and public information in time of community disaster.  A statewide listing of community mental health centers (CEO and Disaster Coordinator), Health Departments, County Emergency Managers and Sheriffs, Social Services, Hospitals, Substance Abuse, and Other Important Contacts  An extensive listing of web resources in the areas of disaster preparedness, response and recovery  Boilerplate materials about mental health disaster response (i.e. tips, resources) and trauma  Crisis Communication materials, interview guidelines, sample press release and tips for working with the media  Brochures and fact sheets that can be tailored by your center  Separate section for you to add your own local information and resources

Curt H. Drennen, Psy.D. Jeanne Oliver Mental Health Disaster Coordinator Public Information Officer Division of Mental Health Jefferson Center for Mental Health (303) 866-7403 (303) 432-5174 [email protected] [email protected]

Our special thanks to the Colorado Department of Health and Environment for the grant that made the publication of the RED PAGES possible.

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