For more than 30 years, Federal, State, U.S. Territory, and federally recognized tribal governments have worked together with local providers to help disaster survivors recover from the effects of a disaster. The CCP is a Federal, FEMA-funded program that provides supplemental funding to States, U.S. Territories, and federally recognized tribes after a Presidential disaster declaration. Through an interagency agreement, the CMHS Emergency Mental Health and Traumatic Stress Services Branch provides grant administration and program oversight, as well as training and technical assistance for State and local mental health personnel.
The CCP consists of services focused on preventing or mitigating adverse repercussions of a disaster. This goal is achieved through the use of a prevention and public health approach. Beginning with the most severely affected group and moving outward, the program seeks to serve a large portion of the population affected by the disaster. Program services are community based and often are performed in survivor's homes, shelters, temporary living sites, and churches. CCP services include supportive crisis counseling, education, development of coping skills, and linkage to appropriate resources, while assessing and referring those members of the community who are in need of more intensive mental health and substance abuse treatment to appropriate community resources. The CCP engages community gatekeepers and organizations through direct contact with stakeholder groups, such as unmet-needs committees, and participation in community events in order to facilitate response activities and services to survivors. The CCP is designed to assist with community recovery and collaboration in order to transition from CCP services to existing community resources upon the phasedown of the program.