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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.
This webpage offers information on how to prepare for a flood and what to do during and after a flood. It also offers information about the National Flood Insurance Program and has an outreach toolkit for community leaders.
The CDC earthquake page contains helpful information and resources on earthquake preparedness, surviving during an earthquake, and what happens after an earthquake.
Disabled-World.com is an independent health and disability website that provides information on topics related to seniors and disability. This section of the website provides links to resources specific to disasters and emergency planning for seniors and people with disabilities.
The American Red Cross shares tips for coping with a swine flu pandemic and symptoms that suggest the need for professional help. An emergency contact card is included at the end of the fact sheet, allowing readers to keep phone numbers for their local Red Cross chapters, health providers, and mental health providers in one place.
This fact sheet provides three steps for older adults and their caregivers to take in planning and preparing for disasters and other emergencies: make a plan, stock an emergency medical kit, and make a disaster supplies kit. For each step, several items and elements to include are listed.
Create the Good is a service provided by AARP for matching interested individuals, most of whom are 50 years or older, with volunteer opportunities. It offers some do-it-yourself projects on its website, including Operation Emergency Prepare, which guides people through helping their friends, family, and other loved ones; organizations; and communities in preparing for disasters and other emergencies.
In this online article, the NIA defines hypothermia, a risk for people in snowstorms, ice storms, and other cold winter weather. The booklet explains why older adults may be especially at risk, presents tips for avoiding hypothermia, lists hypothermia warning signs, and identifies sources of additional information and support.
In this resource, AARP, which works to enhance quality of life for older adults, provides guidance for disaster-affected communities to help them rebuild and recover in ways that make them better places to live for people of all ages. AARP points out that the U.S. population is aging and argues for the importance of making communities accessible to and livable for older adults and those of all ages.
This guide lists three steps to preparedness - getting a kit, making a plan, and being informed and describes the activities that should be involved in each of these steps.
This webpage provides information for older adults on how to deal with the stress of extreme heat, which can place them at high risk for health problems. It also provides a link to the symptoms of heat-related illness and a checklist for caretakers to help them protect older adults from heat stress.
This toolkit helps service providers for the aging learn more about alcohol and medication misuse and mental illness among older adults. It provides tools such as a program coordinator’s guide, suggested curricula, and handouts, including screening tools to help identify problematic alcohol use and depression in older adults.
This 30-minute video discusses the importance of emergency preparedness for older adults. It provides information to help with preparedness for disasters and other emergencies, as well as examples of what a community and an organization are doing to support emergency preparedness.
This tip sheet discusses ways to cope with the psychological effects of a drought and the difficult decisions it can cause and provides guidance in family decision-making related to drought.
AARP is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for older adults. AARP promotes positive social change and provides its members with information, advocacy, and services.
Through the Eldercare Locator, users can find services for older adults and their families in locations across the country, in areas running the gamut from behavioral health to financial assistance to insurance to food and nutrition.
The American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry established the Geriatric Mental Health Foundation to heighten public awareness of the importance of mental health and prevalence of mental illnesses among the elderly, eradicate negative misperceptions of mental health services, and promote broader access to these services for older adults, as well as healthy aging in general.