On the Web: A New Resource for Child Traumatic Stress

The National Resource Center for Child Traumatic Stress, funded by SAMHSA, has developed a comprehensive and easy-to-navigate Web site with information and resources for counselors, families, and others seeking to understand and treat child traumatic stress.

Developed to support the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (SAMHSA News, Winter 2003), the Resource Center's Web site provides families, school personnel, and health professionals access to the developing body of knowledge on the effects of domestic, school, and community violence; traumatic bereavement; natural disasters; medical procedures; and other traumas experienced by children from infancy through adolescence.

Resources include:

• Links for mental health professionals including the PILOTS database—a catalogue of professional literature on post-traumatic stress disorder—and articles and presentations by Network members.

• Articles and fact sheets on child traumatic stress, resilience and recovery factors, and evidence-based approaches to service and treatment in a variety of settings.

• A guide to family preparedness to help a family develop an emergency plan, a communication plan, and an emergency supply kit.

• A downloadable wallet card to keep contact information of family members, schools, local authorities, and others.

• Disaster preparedness information specific to bioterrorism, epidemics, earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes.

• A checklist to evaluate the mental health component of the school crisis and emergency plan for school personnel.

• Contact information for Network member organizations.

Expansion of the Resource Center's Web site continues as Network member organizations develop and publish new findings and strategies. For example, a resource area added recently focuses on child traumatic grief. Fact sheets for parents and professionals, as well as information specifically designed for the media, parents, pediatricians and pediatric nurses, and school personnel, are included.

For more information, visit the National Resource Center for Child Traumatic Stress Web site at www.nctsnet.org. Additional links to information on children and disasters are available on SAMHSA's Web site at www.samhsa.gov.

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