USU Launches Specialized Simulation Course Launched for Disaster Mental Health Response

A first-of-its-kind program immerses clinicians, first responders in realistic crisis scenarios to build essential psychological support skills.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Tom Cooke helps residents search through the rubble of a leveled home, after a tornado

ripped through parts of Moore, Okla., May 20, which damaged more than 13,000 homes. (U.S. Air Force photo

by Staff Sgt. Jonathan Snyder)

July 24, 2025 by Sharon Holland

When disaster strikes—mass casualty event, natural disaster, or large-scale emergency —medical teams train extensively for trauma care and logistics. But what about the mental health needs that inevitably follow? At the Uniformed Services University (USU), Dr. Ryan Landoll, assistant dean for Preclinical Sciences and associate professor of Family Medicine, and his team are pioneering a hands-on, simulation-based approach to prepare clinicians to deliver psychological support when it matters most.

The Disaster Mental Health Simulation course was born from years of evolving work in military medical education. Its roots can be traced to Operation Bushmaster, USU’s renowned field training exercise for medical and graduate nursing students. Bushmaster immerses learners in deployed, austere environments to practice delivering care under realistic operational conditions. In 2017, the exercise began deliberately incorporating behavioral health components, giving psychology and nursing students opportunities to develop and apply skills in crisis triage, intervention, and operational planning within high-pressure, scenario-based simulations.

This immersive scenario is part of USU's

novel Disaster Mental Health Simulation

course, designed to train clinicians and

first responders in critical psychological

support skills under realistic conditions. 

(Photo credit: Dr. Ryan Landoll)

Those early experiences highlighted the essential role of immersive training in preparing clinicians to manage the unique demands of disaster mental health care. They also underscored a longstanding gap in professional preparation: while trauma medicine is routinely drilled, the psychological response to disasters often remains an afterthought or is reduced to a single, oversimplified scenario in larger exercises.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced a creative pivot. When field exercises were curtailed, USU faculty adapted by running intensive, modified simulations in the Val G. Hemming Simulation Center. They created a continuous, 36-hour operation with overnight stays, realistic sound effects, and dynamic scenario-based stressors to replicate the pressures and uncertainties of real-world disaster response. These adaptations demonstrated that high-quality, immersive training in disaster mental health could be delivered even outside traditional field environments, sparking the idea of developing a more focused and widely accessible model.

Unlike Bushmaster’s large-scale, resource-heavy setup, Landoll and his team set out to create a portable, half-day training that could be used far beyond USU itself. The Disaster Mental Health Simulation course is designed to be practical, adaptable, and scalable, making it relevant for military units, civilian emergency responders, the American Red Cross, and even volunteer fire departments. With grant support from the Society for Military Psychology and the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology, the team has developed, piloted, and refined highly realistic scenarios squarely aimed at disaster mental health training.

What sets this course apart is that mental health is not an add-on—it’s the centerpiece. Whereas many disaster response trainings might squeeze in a token psychiatric case with minimal realism or depth, this simulation places mental health needs front and center. Participants practice core skills vital in crisis settings, including Psychological First Aid, trauma response, triage, crisis communication, de-escalation techniques, and planning for ongoing mental health care.

USU’s advanced simulation facilities enable a truly immersive experience. The Val G. Hemming Simulation Center offers a hybrid lab with a 360-degree projection system, environmental soundscapes, props, and realistic visual cues to recreate high-stress settings—such as the chaotic aftermath of a bombing at a farmers’ market. Participants must think critically, act compassionately, and communicate effectively under realistic time constraints, building confidence in their ability to respond to crises in the field.

Key elements of the course include carefully designed scenarios, trained simulated patients for role-play, structured pre-briefings, and thorough debriefings that reinforce learning and promote reflection. The curriculum emphasizes trauma-informed care principles, helping participants develop skills in active listening, empathy, needs assessment, cultural competence, and effective crisis intervention.  

This innovative approach has already attracted wide interest. The Air Force Reserve Command and Air Force Medical Command have explored adopting the model to train their personnel. There’s even an international dimension to the work, with collaborators like Dr. Mathew McCauley from Trinity College at the University of Dublin, contributing to grant development and course evaluation—underscoring the global relevance of improving disaster mental health readiness.

For Landoll and his team, the mission is clear: bridge the critical training gap in disaster mental health preparedness. While many providers receive some form of didactic or online instruction in crisis response, few have the chance to practice these complex skills in realistic, stress-inducing environments before they’re called upon to do so in real life. By creating a replicable, evidence-informed simulation model, the USU team aims to ensure that providers everywhere are better equipped to deliver lifesaving psychological support—exactly when communities need it most.