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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 handout provides information for parents including reactions and/or behavior they may notice in preschool-age children after a disaster and suggestions for what to say and do once the disaster is over. This resource is part of the Psychological First Aid (PFA) Field Operations Guide, which helps people provide PFA, an evidence-informed, modular approach for assisting disaster survivors.
Part of the Psychological First Aid (PFA) Field Operations Guide, this handout helps parents understand how infants and toddlers may be feeling after disaster. It also lists ways for parents to help their young children cope with disaster. PFA is an evidence-informed, modular approach anyone can use to assist disaster survivors.
This story was developed to help young children and their families talk about feelings and worries they may have after they have experienced an earthquake. The story describes children’s reactions and talks about how their parents help them to express their emotions and feel safer. In the back of the booklet, there is a parents’ guide that suggests ways that parents can use the story with their children.
This booklet tells the story of Trinka and Sam, two young mice who are friends and neighbors who survive a wildfire. The booklet covers effects a wildfire can have on a community, as well as the emotions and behaviors children may display after a wildfire.
This booklet tells the story of Trinka and Sam, two young mice who are friends and neighbors who survive a wildfire. The booklet covers effects a wildfire can have on a community, as well as the emotions and behaviors children may display after a wildfire.
This story was developed to help young children and their families talk about feelings and worries they may have after they have experienced an earthquake. The story describes children’s reactions and talks about how their parents help them to express their emotions and feel safer. In the back of the booklet, there is a parents’ guide that suggests ways that parents can use the story with their children.
This story was developed to help young children and their families talk about feelings and worries they may have after they have experienced an earthquake. The story describes children’s reactions and talks about how their parents help them to express their emotions and feel safer. In the back of the booklet, there is a parents’ guide that suggests ways that parents can use the story with their children.
This story was developed to help young children and their families talk about feelings and worries they may have after they have experienced an earthquake. The story describes children’s reactions and talks about how their parents help them to express their emotions and feel safer. In the back of the booklet, there is a parents’ guide that suggests ways that parents can use the story with their children.
This story was developed to help young children and their families talk about feelings and worries they may have after they have experienced an earthquake. The story describes children’s reactions and talks about how their parents help them to express their emotions and feel safer. In the back of the booklet, there is a parents’ guide that suggests ways that parents can use the story with their children.
This document offers information on how school-age children commonly react to disasters and how parents can respond. It is part of the Psychological First Aid (PFA) Field Operations Guide, which prepares people to deliver PFA, an evidence-informed, modular approach anyone can use to assist disaster survivors.
Part of the Psychological First Aid (PFA) Field Operations Guide, this handout provides parents with tips for how to respond to an adolescent child after a disaster. The document includes adolescents’ possible reactions, how parents can respond, and examples of what parents can do and say.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry offers several library resource collections addressing such topics as disasters, anti-racism, and guns and violence. The Asian American and Pacific Islander Resource Library provides downloadable and linked resources providing guidance and support for parents, caregivers, educators, and community members talking with children and youth about race and racism.
This web page provides parents and caregivers with recommendations for supporting their child’s return to school after experiencing a tragedy, which can include mass violence incidents. It includes guidance for supporting children’s feelings, emphasizing school safety, and seeking further assistance if needed to ensure students’ comfort and resilience.
To support caregivers or others tending to children, this web page from SAMHSA explains the effects of traumatic events—such as natural disasters or community violence—on children. It provides a breakdown of possible reactions shown by children of different ages as well as tips for supporting children who have experienced traumatic stress.
This article provides parents and caregivers with tips for talking to children about racism and acts of violence. It highlights the importance of discussing these topics with youth and provides strategies and resources to support open discussion.
This online article includes information on how a parent’s posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms can affect his or her children. It describes some of the common child responses to those symptoms and offers guidance regarding what a parent should do when faced with this situation.
This web page provides parents and caregivers with recommendations for supporting their child’s return to school after experiencing a tragedy, which can include mass violence incidents. It includes guidance for supporting children’s feelings, emphasizing school safety, and seeking further assistance if needed to ensure students’ comfort and resilience.
This tip sheet explains the impacts incidents of violence and hate crimes can have on people of all ages and suggests ways for parents and others who care for children to talk to them about a hate crime. The tip sheet describes common reactions to hate crimes; emphasizes the importance of talking about safety with children; and encourages adults to talk openly with children about bias, prejudice, and discrimination.
This handout provides information for parents including reactions and/or behavior they may notice in preschool-age children after a disaster and suggestions for what to say and do once the disaster is over. This resource is part of the Psychological First Aid (PFA) Field Operations Guide, which helps people provide PFA, an evidence-informed, modular approach for assisting disaster survivors.
This handout provides information for parents including reactions and/or behavior they may notice in preschool-age children after a disaster and suggestions for what to say and do once the disaster is over. This resource is part of the Psychological First Aid (PFA) Field Operations Guide, which helps people provide PFA, an evidence-informed, modular approach for assisting disaster survivors.
Part of the Psychological First Aid (PFA) Field Operations Guide, this handout helps parents understand how infants and toddlers may be feeling after disaster. It also lists ways for parents to help their young children cope with disaster. PFA is an evidence-informed, modular approach anyone can use to assist disaster survivors.