Not every disaster follows a short or predictable timeline. Search and rescue operations, displacement, uncertainty, and loss can continue for weeks or longer, creating evolving psychological needs for both affected families and the professionals responding to the event.
The response to the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside, Florida, offers an important example. During the prolonged search and recovery operation, U.S. and Israeli mental health teams provided psychological support across active operational sites and family assistance settings.
The experience highlighted the need for mental health response to adapt as a crisis develops. Responders may face cumulative exposure to distressing situations, while families may experience prolonged uncertainty, grief, and emotional exhaustion. Support therefore needs to remain available throughout the operational period, not just in the immediate aftermath.
For PreAct, sustained intervention means building systems that can respond to changing needs over time - supporting frontline personnel, affected families, and the wider community as a crisis moves from acute response toward recovery.