The United States is experiencing an increase in the number of disasters; extreme weather events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires, along with human-made disasters such as mass shootings and bombings. These disasters affect individuals, families, and entire communities, with emergent basic needs such as temporary shelter, food, and water, as well as psychological needs such as acute stress, grief, and hopelessness (Halpern et al., 2019). Social workers are called to action as first responders and to aid in the ongoing healing process, yet most do not have pre-event training. This project introduced disaster mental health (DMH) training into MSW education by developing, implementing, and evaluating a learning module for specialized practice courses to strengthen future social workers' capacity to respond to disasters. The project was evaluated using an online, self-report, post-module survey. The preliminary data from this study support the introduction of key concepts and skills in disaster mental health for MSW coursework. The responses also indicated participants’ pedagogical strategies and future course interests, with most identifying this content as an appropriate venue for practice courses, an elective in DMH, and/or the need for inter-professional education. The results could inform future curriculum decisions and offerings within MSW and post-MSW education.
