As we continue to see and hear reports about the loss of life and are moved by the suffering of so many individuals as a result of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, our thoughts and prayers go out to all those who have been injured and have lost loved ones or their homes, or even their communities.

I just returned from a trip with Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt to survey the damage and to meet with local officials and impacted people.  Much of what I have seen and heard is heartbreaking, but I have also witnessed the heroic efforts of our colleagues at the state and local levels and the resilience of our fellow Americans.  They are counting on us to bring the full complement of SAMHSA resources to bear on attaining the long-term recovery of the Gulf Coast area. 

Throughout the trip, I have reported back to SAMHSA on additional actions that need to be taken.  I expect every SAMHSA employee will have a role to play in this unprecedented endeavor.  As you may already know, our SAMHSA Emergency Response Center (SERC) was opened last week with the goal of assisting state officials, supporting staff deployed in the field, and conducting necessary liaison with other Federal and voluntary agencies involved in the public health response.  We continue to be in need of staff assistance from throughout SAMHSA to help with recording activities and processing phone requests.  In addition, staff with managerial experience may receive brief training to assist on shifts as incident managers.  I want to thank Seth Hassett for getting our SERC up and running and for serving as an agency leader as the Incident Commander.   Brenda Bruun will be taking over as the Commander today.  To volunteer, please work with through your supervisor.

We have already approved $500,000 for SAMHSA Emergency Response Grants (SERG) for clinical services, including pharmaceuticals, for four States initially impacted by Katrina as follows: $200,000 for Louisiana, $150,000 for Mississippi, $75,000 for Alabama, and $75,000 for Texas.   Texas was included because of the immediate influx of people evacuated from their homes.  We are working with state officials to deploy these funds and the other resources needed as swiftly as possible.  We expect to expand our financial and technical assistance to additional states as evacuees are located across the country.

We are also working with Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama to implement their FEMA Crisis Counseling Program for funds for up to 60 days of services.  In addition to supporting initial FEMA efforts, SAMHSA has deployed staff and mobilized its Disaster Technical Assistance Center to support state officials in their efforts to conduct needs assessments, provide services, support ongoing administrative operations, access financial assistance and plan for long-term recovery.  An interagency triage team from the Administration on Aging (AoA), the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), and SAMHSA is assisting at Federal Medical Shelters to provide staffing recommendations and service delivery.  We are working with the Texas Department of Health Methadone Authority to establish a triage arrangement in conjunction with people evacuated to the state. 

We are working with our constituent groups to identify deployable assets to meet requests from the states particularly for clinicians who can provide mental health services.  I am grateful for the willingness to help from our staff. The Department has established a website (<https://volunteer.hhs.gov>) and toll-free number (1-866-KAT-MEDI) to help identify non-federal health care professionals and relief personnel to assist in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.  

In addition, many of you have inquired about the best way to provide assistance to those affected by Hurricane Katrina.  The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has developed a list ( http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=18473 ), which is being continually updated, and gives instructions on how to provide immediate cash donations to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina.  Many of the organizations identified by FEMA are also national CFC participating charities.  I am touched by the many SAMHSA staff who have contacted offices to try to find more ways to help.

These initial steps are only illustrative of the many efforts currently being undertaken by SAMHSA.  For the immediate future, I will be sending you highlights from the daily SAMHSA report to the Secretary's office and will keep you informed as information becomes available.  This report and all of our response efforts are being coordinated by Dan Dodgen.  Dan is doing a magnificent job as our liaison with the Secretary's office and leader of our efforts.  I also want to thank all of you who have already volunteered and participated in our on-going work to begin the healing and help with the recovery of the Gulf Coast area.  These efforts will require adaptability and cooperation as we strive together as one HHS family to engage all of our resources during this critical time.  I look forward to your ongoing support and collaboration.