Resources for Immediate Disaster
Behavioral Health Response

• Coping With Grief After Community Violence—This SAMHSA tip sheet introduces some of the signs of grief and anger after an incident of community violence, provides useful information about to how to cope with grief, and offers tips for helping children deal with grief. http://store.samhsa.gov/product/Coping-With-Grief-After-Community-Viole…- 4888

• Disaster-Specific Resources Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series (DBHIS) Installment—This SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC) DBHIS installment is a collection of resources focused on preparedness and response for specific types of disasters, including mass violence, riots, and trauma. http://www.samhsa.gov/dbhis-collections/disaster-specific-resources?ter…

• Incidents of Mass Violence—The SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline supports survivors, family members, responders, and recovery workers who are affected by incidents of mass violence and other disasters. Information on this web page includes a list of risk factors for distress, information on lockdown notices and other warnings, and additional resources for coping. http://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/disaster-distress-helpline/disaster-typ…

• Effects of Traumatic Stress After Mass Violence, Terror, or Disaster—This online article from the National Center for PTSD describes the emotional, cognitive, physical, and interpersonal reactions that disaster survivors may experience and discusses the potentially severe stress symptoms that may lead to lasting posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, or depression. The article also presents information on how survivors can reduce their risk of psychological difficulties and recover from disaster stress. http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/trauma/disaster-terrorism/stress-mv…

General Disaster Response and Recovery Information

• Tips for Survivors of a Disaster or Other Traumatic Event: Managing Stress—This SAMHSA tip sheet gives stress prevention and management tips for dealing with the effects of trauma, mass violence, or terrorism. It lists tips to relieve stress, describes how to know when to seek professional help, and provides accompanying resources.
  • http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/SMA13-4776/SMA13-4776.pdf
  • This tip sheet is also available in Spanish at http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content//SMA13-4776SPANISH/SMA13- 4776SPANISH.pdf.

• Effects of Traumatic Stress After Mass Violence, Terror, or Disaster—This web page from the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) describes the emotional, cognitive, physical, and interpersonal reactions that disaster survivors may experience and discusses potentially severe stress symptoms and PTSD, anxiety disorders, and depression. The page also provides information about how survivors can reduce their risk of psychological difficulties and recover from disaster stress. http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/trauma/disaster-terrorism/stress-mv…

• Be Red Cross Ready: Taking Care of Your Emotional Health after a Disaster—This fact sheet from the American Red Cross explains normal reactions to a disaster, what a survivor can do to cope with these emotions, and where to seek additional help if needed. http://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m4240142_Emot… Health.pdf

Resources for Faith-Based Communities and Spiritual Leaders

• Faith Communities and Disaster Mental Health—This NDIN tip sheet provides information for religious leaders about common stress reactions people may experience in response to a disaster and suggests ways they can cope, and help others cope, with disaster stress reactions. The sheet also provides information on referring people for mental health services.
  • http://www.ndin.org/ndin_resources/tipsheets_v1208/11_NDIN_TS_DisasterM…

• Tips & Lessons—Disaster Response: The Sunday After a Disaster—This tip sheet from Episcopal Relief & Development offers advice on how to provide community and congregational support after a disaster. http://www.episcopalrelief.org/uploads/EducationFileModel/56/file/Sunda…

Resources for Children, Youth, Parents and Other Caregivers, and Schools

• Tips for Talking With and Helping Children and Youth Cope After a Disaster or Traumatic Event: A Guide for Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers—This fact sheet can help parents, caregivers, and teachers recognize and address problems in children and teens affected by a disaster. Readers can learn about signs of stress reactions that are common in young survivors at different ages, as well as how to help children through grief.
  • http://store.samhsa.gov/product/Tips-for-Talking-With-and-Helping-Child…

• Helping Your Child Cope With Media Coverage of Disasters: A Fact Sheet for Parents—The authors of this fact sheet explain how media coverage of a traumatic event may affect children and provide strategies to help parents address these effects http://www.oumedicine.com/docs/ad-psychiatryworkfiles/parent_disaster_m…

• Psychological Impact of the Recent Shooting – This document from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network lists different psychological reactions to a shooting and its related consequences (e.g., decreases in school performance, sleep disturbances). http://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/assets/pdfs/psychological_info… _pager.pdf

• Restoring a Sense of Safety in the Aftermath of a Shooting: Tips for Parents and Professionals—This fact sheet from the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress provides tips for professionals to help them communicate effectively about a shooting, ensure physical safety and security, and provide answers to some common questions. http://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/assets/pdfs/csts_sense_of_safe…;

Resources for College Students

• Coping Facts for College Students—This online fact sheet outlines common reactions to violent events such as school shootings. It lists tips for coping and seeking help after a traumatic event. http://www.semo.edu/ucs/coping_facts.html

Resources Focused on People With Disabilities

• Tips for First Responders, 3rd Edition—The authors of this 28-page booklet offer tips disaster responders and other first responders can use during emergencies and routine encounters to support and communicate with people with disabilities. The booklet is divided into sections that focus on older adults and on people with service animals, mobility impairments, autism, multiple chemical sensitivities, cognitive disabilities, and hearing or visual impairments. http://cdd.unm.edu/products/tips3rdedition.pdf

Resources Focused on Substance Use Concerns

• Substance Use Disorders and Disasters—This SAMHSA DTAC DBHIS installment provides resources on the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders as part of disaster planning, response, and recovery. The installment includes tip sheets, guides, and other downloadable resources that can be used to help people with substance use disorders to cope with and recover from disaster events. https://www.addictionresource.net/best-drug-rehab-centers/

• Alcohol, Medication, and Drug Use after Disaster—This handout from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network provides information that disaster survivors can use to avoid increased use of alcohol and misuse of prescription medications and other drugs after a disaster. It also provides tips for survivors to avoid relapse after a disaster. http://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/pfa/english/appendix_e90_tips_… e.pdf

Resources for Disaster Responders

• Psychological First Aid for First Responders: Tips for Emergency and Disaster Response Workers—This SAMHSA tip sheet provides first responders with information on how to address people for the first time after a disaster and how to calmly communicate and promote safety. http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/NMH05-0210/NMH05-0210.pdf

• Traumatic Incident Stress: Information for Emergency Response Workers—This CDC fact sheet outlines symptoms of traumatic incident stress and lists activities emergency response workers can do on site and at home to cope with disaster response. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2002-107/pdfs/2002-107.pdf

• Guidelines for Working with First Responders (Firefighters, Police, Emergency Medical Service and Military) in the Aftermath of Disaster—This online tip sheet lists common characteristics of disaster responders, suggests interventions for working with disaster responders, and provides additional resources useful for working with this population. http://www.agpa.org/home/practice-resources/group-interventions-for-tra…

Traumatic Stress and Retraumatization Resources

• Effects of Traumatic Stress After Mass Violence, Terror, or Disaster—This National Center for PTSD web page describes the reactions to disaster that survivors may experience and discusses the potentially severe stress symptoms that may lead to lasting posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, or depression. Information on how survivors can reduce their risk of psychological difficulties and recover from disaster stress is also provided. http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/trauma/disaster-terrorism/stress-mv…

Additional Resource for Acute Needs

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Funded by SAMHSA, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a source of support available 24/7 to people in crisis, including challenging responses to disasters. Call 1- 800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255), or, for support in Spanish, call 1-888-628-9454. http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org