Disaster Behavioral Health Resources

SAMHSA created a video series of 8 promising practices in disaster behavioral health planning to help develop and refine your plans. 

The US Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) developed a tool to help state and local agencies, as well as provider organizations, assess disaster behavioral health capacity and its integration into all planning, preparedness, response and recovery efforts.

This Annex details responsibilities, tasks, and operational actions that are needed to specifically respond to mass violence incidents. The contents focus on unique planning needs that incorporate victim services into 16 Best Practices determined as necessary to adequately prepare for a mass violence incident.

Effective toolkit that provides tools and resources for developing a comprehensive victim assistance plan that can be tailored to fit the needs of your community to prepare for and respond to victims of mass violence and terrorism.

This tip sheet walks through the timeline, function, and activities of the Friends and Relatives Center (FRC), Family Assistance Center (FAC), and Resiliency Center (RC).

This toolkit was developed on the premise that exposure to the traumatic experiences of other people—known as vicarious trauma—is an inevitable occupational challenge for many disaster response fields; however, organizations can mitigate the potentially negative effects by becoming vicarious trauma-informed. The toolkit includes tools and resources tailored specifically to these fields that provide the knowledge and skills necessary for organizations to address the vicarious trauma needs of their staff. 

Michigan State Police compiled several guides, plans, and checklists for individuals and families to prepare themselves, their homes, and their pets for disasters. These resources can be found in the Plan Ahead and Youth sections.

SAMHSA compiled information and created tools and resources on planning and community engagement to help inform climate change from a disaster behavioral health perspective. 

Resources and information for special populations/communities to consider in planning including American Indians and Alaskan Natives, children in schools, older adults, people experiencing homelessness, people with access and functional needs, and rural communities.

A needs assessment is the foundation for a disaster response program and is a continuous process necessary to ensure the relevance of the program for the duration of the effort. 

Effective disaster response activities rely on flexible communications and information systems that provide a common operating picture to emergency management/response personnel and their affiliated organizations. 

The development of outreach strategies in the wake of disasters stems from the knowledge that most people do not see themselves as in need of mental health or crisis intervention services even when they are experiencing distress symptoms after a traumatic event. Check out these creative outreach strategies and ideas.

Disaster behavioral health response programs can benefit from using print media to advertise program services, provide outreach to disaster survivors, and promote psychoeducation.

In addition to print materials, there are now many different communication vehicles that disaster behavioral health response programs can use. This link contains templates and guidance for messaging.

State/territory VOADs are associations of organizations that lead response efforts, communicate urgent needs to the wider National VOAD network, and provide assistance to communities affected by disaster.

Tip sheet for Victim Service Professionals to effectively serve victims during times of public crisis. 

Resiliency Centers are a source of strength and healing for many communities that experience mass violence. Until a Resiliency Center can be established, the Virtual Resiliency Center provides an outlet for sharing essential information.

This page provides information about typical stressors, warning signs of excessive stress, individual approaches to stress management, and handouts for stress management techniques.

This page provides information about typical stressors, warning signs of excessive stress, individual approaches to stress management, and handouts for stress management techniques.

This is a free app that offers first responders immediate access for any type of traumatic event at every phase of response, including pre-deployment preparation, on-the-ground assistance, and post-deployment resources. With the app, responders can access resources including tip sheets, guides for responders, teachers, parents, and caregivers, and a directory of behavioral health service providers in the impacted area. Download in the Apple Store or Google Play. 

Tip sheet provided by NMVC that includes strategies that can help parents support their children in returning to more regular sleep patterns after a mass violent incident. 

This resource offers guidance to help parents talk with children and youth after something scary or violent happens. Developed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and the University of Colorado at Boulder.

This resource provides data and information on child trauma. Developed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and SAMHSA.

Fact sheet provides information about how to talk to children about recent shooting. This tip sheet describes ways to talk to children about the shooting, including how to start the conversation, how to deal with incorrect information, limiting media exposure, common reactions, and when to seek help.

Reactions, responses, and examples of things to do and say for parents of school-age children. 

Reactions, responses, and examples of things to do and say for parents of adolescents. 

Reactions, responses, and examples of things to do and say for parents of preschool-age children. 

Reactions, responses, and examples of things to do and say for parents of infants and toddlers. 

Strategies to help parents and caregivers cope with collective trauma such as mass violence or other disasters. 

Fact sheet provides an overview of how children and adolescents may react to a traumatic event, including a natural or man-caused disaster that they experience as traumatic. This resource describes typical reactions within specific age ranges and offers tips for families, doctors, and school personnel to help children and adolescents cope.

Tips for caregivers and educators in talking to children about mass violence.  

Tip sheet to help parents, other caregivers, and teachers recognize and address problems in children and teens affected by disasters. The tip sheet describes reactions that are common in young survivors at different ages, as well as how to help children cope with these reactions.

Provided by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), this tip sheet describes the PRN approach to promotion of well-being. In addition to providing specific ways to engage in stress management, the tip sheet identifies sources of more information and support in coping. This tip sheet is available in Spanish.  

Sesame Workshop offers printable resources and videos to help parents support their children during emergencies. 

Free, confidential, and secure crisis and resource line for first responders that can be accessed by calling 1-833-34-STRONG. 

This guide offers information and tips to disaster responders and first responders to help them manage stress during crisis response.

This fact sheet offers tips to help disaster response workers transition back to routine work.

This printable brochure contains useful information to ease your transition and enhance the return to your usual work routine.

This printable brochure contains useful information to help you reunite with a deployed family member.

ASPR fact sheet for individual resilience for responders.