Andrew O’Meara, M.S., is the Program Manager for the Institute for Disaster Mental Health (IDMH). He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the State University of New York at Potsdam and a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the State University of New York at New Paltz. Andrew has worked extensively with IDMH since 2019 advising students in the Disaster Studies Minor, planning the Annual IDMH Conference and assisting in programmatic development in response to acute and chronic disasters, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. Andrew has assisted in developing and delivering content to victim service providers, mental health clinicians and first responders, among others. Currently, Andrew is engaged in a 5-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to support the mental health needs of children in Puerto Rico, and is collaborating locally with the NYS Office of Mental Health and NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services to help develop a state-wide team of disaster mental health responders.

Andrew is the current instructor for the Practicum in Disaster Studies course at SUNY New Paltz, where he supervises up to 20 students per year conducting field work with local government and non-profit disaster response agencies. The Institute for Disaster Mental Health also focuses on international response capabilities, with Andrew serving as a consultant to the non-profit organization The UkrHelp Foundation to help support the mental health needs of children impacted by the current conflict in Ukraine. Andrew also enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and camping, and can be found enjoying the beautiful scenery around the Hudson Valley with his wife and dogs when away from work.