Become a Climate-informed Disaster Behavioral Health Professional
Need Technical Assistance?
The SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC) can help you with climate variability adaptation and mitigation planning, as well as general disaster behavioral health planning. Call or text 1–800–308–3515 or email SAMHSA DTAC.
Climate trends are already affecting work for many disaster behavioral health professionals. In recent years, storms, droughts, wildfires, extreme temperatures, and floods have been growing more intense and frequent and affecting more people. These disasters may have negative effects on individual and community health, including mental health and substance use (behavioral health).
Therefore, it is critical for disaster behavioral health professionals to become climate-informed (PDF | 12.4 MB). This means building climate literacy and understanding how climate and climatological differences affect the planet and physical, behavioral, and community health. You and your colleagues face new challenges, but also the opportunity to foster and strengthen hope for the future in communities you serve.
This web page offers resources from SAMHSA and other entities to help you build climate literacy, become more climate-informed in the work you do, and understand and prepare to address the needs of populations that may be at heightened risk. You can also learn more from SAMHSA's Climate Change and Health Equity web page.
Resilience and Risk
On this web page, we focus on community resilience, defined in the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) as “the ability of communities to withstand and recover and learn from past cumulative or compounding disasters to strengthen future response and recovery efforts. This can include, but is not limited to, physical and psychological health of the population, social and economic equity and well-being of the community, effective risk communication, integration of organizations (governmental and nongovernmental) in planning, response, and recovery.”
We also follow NCA5 on this page in how we discuss risk. NCA5 defines risk as “threats to life, health, and safety, the environment, economic well-being, and other things of value. Risks are evaluated in terms of how likely they are to occur (probability) and the damages that would result if they did happen (consequences).” This page emphasizes risks to human health, including behavioral health.
What can professionals do to enhance resilience?
- Become climate-informed.
- Engage with peers to share best practices about climate.
- Be visible and vocal.
- Promote awareness of climate challenges.
- Support local, national, and international solutions.
- Motivate action and engagement through leadership, communication, education, and engagement.
- Help individuals see the connection between climate and personal health.
- Teach individuals and communities that behavioral health is affected by climate and climate variability.
- Be aware of factors that place people at greater health and/or behavioral health risk due to trends in climate, and work to raise awareness and focus outreach on populations with these factors.
Are some people at greater risk due to climate variation and trends?
Climate variability may pose particular risks (PDF | 62.9 MB) for historically marginalized racial, ethnic, and gender and sexual orientation populations; communities where most people are low income; and people with disabilities and other functional or access needs. Children, older adults, and outdoor workers also face health risks linked to climate variability. Fortunately, resources are available to support various populations with unique needs related to climate.
Other Resources
- Planning Tool (PDF | 176 KB)
SAMHSA DTAC tool to help disaster behavioral health professionals assess emerging threats, engage in preparedness planning, and involve communities in planning. - DBHIS Resources
Resources within the SAMHSA Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series (DBHIS) about climate and disaster behavioral health. - The Dialogue
Editions of The Dialogue, a quarterly disaster behavioral health newsletter produced by SAMHSA DTAC, regarding climate variation and its effects on work in disaster behavioral health: 17(3) (PDF | 2 MB) and 19(3) (PDF | 12 MB). - Tips for People Who Take Medication: Coping With Hot Weather
Tip sheet exploring how climate variability and increased heat may pose particular risk for people who use medication and offering tips for personal and community resilience. - Supplemental Research Bulletin (PDF | 285 KB)
Edition of SAMHSA DTAC’s research newsletter about how climate trends affect behavioral health and ways to foster resilience. Access the companion infographic about building resilience (PDF | 3 MB).
- Climate Effects on Health | CDC
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website section providing an overview of how climate change impacts health and offering links to related resources. - Mental Health and Stress-Related Disorders | CDC
CDC web page describing how climate and associated stressors can impact mental health. The page lists potential impacts of temperature and of climate-related disasters and offers links for more information. - Climate and Health Outlook Portal | HHS Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE)
Portal which incorporates data from OCCHE and a range of other nationwide resources to offer national monthly forecasts at the county level for heat, wildfire, and drought over the coming month, as well as information about counties at heightened risk in relation to extreme weather. - Environmental Justice Index | CDC
Tool drawing on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration, and CDC to show how environmental injustice affects health at the census tract level across the nation. - People at Increased Risk for Heat-Related Illness | CDC
Web page identifying populations at greater risk during periods of extreme heat and linking to pages with information about how to monitor health and stay safe. - Climate Change and Health Equity | HHS OCCHE
Web page explaining threats posed by climate change for the health of the public, including populations at greater health risk and identifying factors linked to greater risk, as well as connections between climate and health effects. - 2024 HHS Resources on Heat and Health (PDF | 131 KB)
Collection of resources vetted by the HHS Office of Climate Change and Health Equity about assistance programs to help individuals and communities to cope with extreme heat, clinical and educational resources, data tools, and other resources that may be helpful to the public and disaster behavioral health professionals. - Climate and Health Resources
Web page from CDC featuring guidance, webinars, data, toolkits, and other resources for public health professionals. - Climate Change & Health Equity Resources
Online collection of resources for professionals and the public to learn more about climate variability, populations at particular risk, energy use and management, wildfires, and extreme heat. - Heat and Medications – Guidance for Clinicians
Guidance from CDC for healthcare clinicians on how to plan for and support the safety of patients who use medication or drugs. - Protecting Vulnerable Patient Populations from Climate Hazards: A Referral Guide for Health Professionals
Resource for healthcare professionals to guide patient education and referrals in clinical settings for people whose physical or mental health has been affected by, or may be affected by, climate trends.
- The National Risk Index | FEMA
Dataset and online tool from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to show people across the United States the communities at greatest risk of harm from 18 natural hazards, including heat waves, coastal flooding, and wildfires. - Who Is Most At Risk To Extreme Heat? | Heat.gov
Web page from the National Integrated Heat Health Information System explaining health risks posed by extreme heat for everyone and for specific populations. Links are provided to more information about risk and tips to increase safety. - Climate Change Adaptation Resource Center (ARC-X)
Resource hub provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to help local governments ensure health of their residents through climate variation and extreme weather events. - Climate Mapping for Resilience & Adaptation
Mapping and assessment tool provided under the auspices of the U.S. Global Change Research Program to help state and local governments, grantees, and the public understand current and projected climate trends in their area and plan effectively. - Climate Resilience
Web page describing and linking to information about FEMA initiatives to address climate variation and funding to help states and localities build resilience and engage in climate-informed emergency management. - Heat Hub NJ
Website developed by the State of New Jersey to foster statewide heat resilience. Identifies populations who may be at particular risk in extreme heat and behavioral health effects of extreme heat. - Practitioner's Guidance for Implementing the Steps to Resilience
Report designed to help climate adaptation practitioners in supporting movement toward greater resilience through the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit’s Steps to Resilience.
- Climate Change
Resource hub from the American Psychological Association offering an overview of climate and health and linking to American Psychological Association articles, podcasts, news stories, and initiatives. - Climate Change and Mental Health Connections
Website section from the American Psychiatric Association explaining how climate variation affects mental health and well-being and linking to more information from the American Psychiatric Association about populations at risk during climate variability, extreme weather events and mental health, and resilience. - Climate Change and Trauma
Podcast episode from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Experts discuss the intersection of climate change, stress, and trauma. - Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Impacts, Inequities, Responses; 2021 Edition | American Psychological Association, Climate for Health, and ecoAmerica (PDF | 4.3 MB)
Landmark report from the American Psychological Association, Climate for Health, and ecoAmerica about increased climate variability and volatility, mental health impacts of climate trends, how climate trends are worsening inequities, and solutions for supporting resilience and mental health. - Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Children and Youth Report 2023 | American Psychological Association, Climate for Health, and ecoAmerica (PDF | 2.3 MB)
Report by the American Psychological Association and ecoAmerica about child and adolescent mental health, in general and in the context of greater climate variability, impacts of climate change on young people, and ways to foster resilience and health.