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Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series Resource Center
The SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC) provides various resources and useful information for those in the disaster behavioral health field.
All resources for which links are provided are in the public domain or have been authorized for noncommercial use. Hardcopies of some materials may be ordered. If you use content from resources in this collection in program materials, you should acknowledge the source of the materials.
Did you know you can download your search results? Simply apply search filters and then click on the Download Filtered Resources link to obtain a .csv file with the resources you have found, including each resource’s name, description, date, URL, and source.
Developed during the Israel-Hamas conflict that began in 2023, this toolkit provides resources to help various audiences cope with the impacts of experiencing or learning information about international conflicts, mass violence and terrorism, crises, trauma, hate crimes, and other violence motivated by prejudice, particularly in light of events in 2023 and 2024 giving rise to Islamophobia, antisemitism, and other forms of discrimination.
This free, online training program aids responders in building skills in providing culturally and linguistically appropriate services in disaster-affected communities. To complete the course, users must register for an account. Upon completion, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers can receive 9 hours of continuing education credit.
Funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and administered by SAMHSA, the CCP is a supplemental grant program to help states, territories, and federally recognized tribes affected by major disasters to address the mental health and substance use-related needs of their residents. This web page details trainings for staff employed by FEMA and SAMHSA’s CCP.
This guide offers insight into the significance of discussing race-based hate with children, identifying signs of traumatic stress and its effects, initiating conversations with young individuals about Asian American and Pacific Islander hate, and suggesting actions to respond effectively.
At this web page, DHS details First Responder Capability, a program dedicated to providing first responders with technical assistance and inventive solutions to challenges caused by the nature of their jobs. The web page provides information on grants and training, fact sheets, and additional topical research and resources.
This free course, offered by FEMA, was developed for staff members working in disaster operations at a FEMA Joint Field Office or other disaster response efforts and areas. It offers ideas for the inclusion of people with disabilities and other access and functional needs in disaster response, both as responders and as members of communities affected by disasters.
This resource collection includes web pages, manuals, guides, technical assistance documents, mobile apps, and training on topics including responding to a radiation emergency, responding to a nuclear detonation, triaging survivors, and managing hazardous materials. Items may be useful both to responders and those who manage responders and response efforts.
Created for disaster response workers, this fact sheet provides guidance for preventing and managing stress before, during, and after a disaster response assignment. It explores signs of stress and highlights tips individuals can use throughout disaster response and recovery to increase resilience.
This tip sheet notes the importance of developing stress management skills before responding to a disaster, as well as using these skills in coping with the stress often involved in disaster response. It suggests steps to take before, during, and after deployment; identifies signs of stress; and lists sources of additional support.
This tip sheet describes some of the challenges involved in disaster response work and how these challenges may make responders more vulnerable to substance misuse. It lists signs of substance misuse, suggests ways to address substance misuse issues in yourself or someone you care about, and identifies resources for additional support.
This page from the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center emphasizes the importance of stress management for responders so they can stay fit to serve disaster-affected communities. The page presents key concepts of disaster behavioral health, encourages responders to deploy as part of an integrated response system and team, and highlights training available to prepare for deployment.
This part of the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC) website explains that responders face heightened risk of mental illness and substance use disorders due to the nature of their work. It identifies signs of stress; ways to manage stress; and related resources from SAMHSA DTAC, including online trainings and tip sheets.
This web page details the collaborative National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and International Association of Fire Fighters Emergency Responder Training Program, tailored to address the occupational safety and behavioral health needs of emergency responders working in fire departments across the nation. The web page provides additional details on the importance of firefighting training.
This web page discusses the risk factors for distress after a mass violence event. The page also discusses what to do in lockdown situations, signs of distress, how to get help when needed, and additional resources.
Provided by the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline, this web page offers information on the warning signs of emotional distress after an individual has experienced a natural or human-caused disaster. Warning signs are broken down by age category for children, teens, and adults. Also identified are risk factors, including chronic psychological disorders, some of which are serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbance.
The SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline is a 24-hour helpline staffed by trained counselors. The helpline can be used by any person, including a responder, who is experiencing emotional distress due to a disaster. Responders may also want to make disaster survivors aware of this resource.
Hosted by the SAMHSA Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network, this presentation covers the developmental aspects of racism-related stress and trauma and explores the complexities and clinical challenges in recognizing its symptoms. The presentation also delves into techniques for recognizing, addressing, and recovering from stress and trauma linked to experiences of racism.
This playlist from the Capacity Building Center for Tribes includes five recorded webinars focused on tribal trauma and resilience. Each webinar focuses on different factors that affect tribal mental and behavioral health, including protective community factors, historic trauma, trauma-informed child welfare, and secondary traumatic stress.
This 1-hour course uses scenarios to teach concepts of Psychological First Aid in responding to disasters. The course is designed to help participants assess survivors for trauma and use mental health interventions to help stabilize survivors in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. The course is intended for public health professionals and anyone involved with post-disaster recovery.
This web page summarizes the effect traumatic events can have on individuals and provides strategies for relieving and addressing traumatic stress. It links to resources that explore different forms and reactions to traumatic events such as mass violence, resources to support children and families, and tips for individuals seeking further support.
The ERHMS™ framework provides ideas for protecting disaster and emergency responders in an emergency of any size and in any setting. Designed for incident command staff members, leaders in response organizations, healthcare professionals, and responders themselves, the framework can be used to develop and implement a plan for monitoring and surveillance of responder health before, during, and after deployment.
This tip sheet highlights actionable principles that child-serving service provider organizations and systems are advised to implement to provide anti-racist and trauma-informed services. It includes strategies for implementing these principles wholistically, from provision of services to staff support and leadership development.
This free, 1-hour online course for fire and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel provides information on stressors and behavioral health issues and conditions that are more common in fire and EMS. It covers techniques for healthy coping and stress management. The course is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Pre-Hospital Continuing Education (CAPCE), which reviews and accredits courses for EMS continuing education credit.
This free online course is designed to help first responders cope with the opioid overdose crisis. The course highlights stressors first responders face due to the crisis, as well as coping and stress management strategies.
This fact sheet highlights the prevalence of suicide among Black and African American communities. It includes information regarding the impact of historical trauma and COVID-19 on mental health, the role of stigma in African American communities, and lack of access to mental health services. Resources to promote mental well-being are also provided.