The Disaster Behavioral Health and Recovery Branch is part of the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Our team promotes psychosocial, people-focused planning in disasters. We work with health and emergency partners at the federal, state and local levels to increase knowledge and skills through training, coordinate and build capacity among behavioral health providers for disaster response and recovery, and integrate disaster behavioral health, pediatrics, equity and community inclusion practices in plans, preparedness activities, and emergency response networks. In response, we coordinate behavioral health situational awareness and resource management in support of our state and local response partners through Emergency Support Function 8 (ESF8) - Public Health and Medical Services.
- To contact our team, email us at cdphe_dcphr_dbhteam@state.co.us.
Aimee Voth Siebert, M.A.
Program Manager
Aimee Voth Siebert has more than 11 years of experience working at CDPHE in disaster behavioral health preparedness and response.
Elyse Janish, M.A.
Inclusion Planning Coordinator
Elyse Janish has more than four years of disaster behavioral health experience, including local leadership and state coordination roles.
Hope Carmody, BA
Recovery Coordinator & Contract Monitor
Hope has her bachelor's degree in urban studies and psychology from the College of Wooster where she researched disaster recovery after Hurricane Katrina.
Rebecca Wener, M.P.H., M.A.
Club Q SERG Grant Coordinator
Rebecca has over ten years of experience in public health, working frequently with populations affected by trauma.
Liberty Dosier, BA
Contract Monitor, Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response
Liberty Dosier has more than 10 years of experience with grant management as both a grantee and a funder.
Shawna Maher, MSW
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Specialist
Shawna has over 10 years professional and volunteer experience providing support, advocacy, and quality services to disproportionately impacted communities.
Maryellen Turner, MSW, LCSW
Pediatric Disaster Behavioral Health Specialist
Maryellen has over 10 years of experience working and advocating for children and youth in behavioral health, and has supported disaster response efforts in the community.
Diego Sigala, MHC, AEM, CAHR
State Agency Planner
Diego boasts over a decade in healthcare, including emergency psychiatric care. He serves in the U.S. Armed Forces, specializing in emergency management and all-hazard threats.
Jamie Jorissen, M.S.
Response Integration Coordinator
Jamie has a master’s degree in Emergency Management and nearly 15 years of experience serving in a behavioral health capacity.
Curt Drennen, Psy.D., RN
Branch Chief, Disaster Behavioral Health and Community Recovery
Curt Drennen has 20-plus years of service to the State of Colorado in the field of disaster behavioral health and is the first line of support to the team.
When will you talk to and/or hear from each member of the team?
Aimee is the contact person for general questions, oversees informational meetings and helps identify appropriate disaster behavioral health contacts and resources. You'll also likely see her if you ask for certain training from our team, like Psychological First Aid or Field Response. If a disaster occurs in your jurisdiction, Aimee will help coordinate grant applications for local organizations and communities.
Elyse focuses on community inclusion as well as access and functional needs in disasters. She coordinates the Community Inclusion in Colorado quarterly workgroup, as well as conducting training, and consulting with partners on the Disaster Behavioral Health Capacity Building Program.
Hope’s work focuses on disaster recovery, from planning to responding. In the case of a disaster, Hope will assist with recovery grants and activities. She also conducts trainings and consults with contracting partners.
Rebecca works with those impacted by the Club Q tragedy.
Liberty handles the majority of the contract monitoring, which includes monitoring the deliverables timetables, budget, and invoicing. She will also work on contracts for grants that occur in response to disasters.
Shawna consults internally with all of OEPR on matters related to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. If the need arises, the DBH team will bring Shawna into the conversation so that she can provide insight, guidance, and best practices as we seek just outcomes.
Maryellen supports coordination and resources specific to pediatrics in disaster preparedness and response. She works with state partners and local community mental health centers in order to create collaboration between partners with behavioral health for children and youth.
Diego coordinates outreach, planning and system development to sustain and expand disaster behavioral health capacity within Colorado State Agencies. He provides DBH subject matter expertise and OEPR support in planning efforts for statewide disaster behavioral health preparedness.
Curt advises on the full spectrum of topics, trainings, and funding covered by the team. You might hear from him at informational sessions or as a subject matter expert at meetings, conferences, and trainings. He will be involved with disaster and emergency responses that include a state-level activation.