This tip sheet lists reactions to stress that are common among children and that caregivers, parents, and teachers may see during and after an infectious disease outbreak. It also suggests ways that adults can help children manage 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 issue of The Dialogue, SAMHSA DTAC’s quarterly newsletter, features articles about the response to Ebola in Africa, including measures taken to support responders during and after their work. It also covers the experience of a provider who helped with part of the response to Ebola in Dallas, Texas, when he and others were challenged with supporting the quarantine of an individual who had been exposed to Ebola and was homeless.

Developed for institutions of higher education, this guide incorporates lessons learned from recent incidents and recommendations from experts in the field to provide guidance for emergency planners revising and updating existing emergency operations plans. This resources was jointly developed by the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Education, and Health and Human Services.

Louisiana Spirit Hurricane Recovery, a federally funded Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program, sponsors this website that provides a link to its toolbox, which includes sample newsletters, flyers, and other communication tools that disaster behavioral health professionals can tailor to their needs.

In this fact sheet, the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress offers guidance on pandemic influenza preparedness and response. The authors list steps that officials can take to support communities in preparedness, response, and recovery, and to plan for mental health interventions such as effective risk and safety communication and Psychological First Aid.

The authors present an overview of six free, just-in-time training modules developed to address mental health issues that may arise in response to an influenza pandemic.[Citation: Ayers, K., and Yellowlees, P. The Internet Journal of Rescue and Disaster Medicine. 2013; 9(1).]

This 2-hour training covers children’s needs during disasters and other emergencies from medical and public health perspectives. Presenters discuss the healthcare delivery system, review experiences after disasters, and present strategies for ensuring that children’s needs are met in and after disasters. Although the course is available free of charge, registration with the provider's learning management system is required to take the course.

Founded to coordinate interfaith recovery work following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, NDIN is an organization composed of subject matter experts who work with faith communities and faith-based organizations in support of disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.

The NDMC helps people and institutions develop and implement measures to reduce societal vulnerability to drought, stressing preparedness and risk management rather than crisis management. Their website includes a section to help children better understand drought.

This document is intended to help low-income and middle-income countries strengthen their preparedness and response plans, with a focus on the social and mental health consequences of biological and chemical attacks.

The American Red Cross offers a variety of disaster preparedness apps on topics such as floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, and an all-inclusive emergency app that monitors 35 different severe weather and emergency alerts. The apps provide alerts, as well as a check-in system to let your loved ones know you are safe. There is also an app for children to teach them preparedness for real-life emergencies.

The Terrorism and Disaster Center (TDC) works to design, publicize, and disseminate disaster mental health and resilience-focused interventions, resources, and services for children, families, and communities. The TDC has developed two interventions to enhance resilience, one for communities and the other for children.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, and related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management. The website includes resources from various entities on animal welfare in disaster or emergency situations and provides links to preparedness and rescue information for companion and farm animals.

This document presents the ways in which older adults are particularly vulnerable in disasters and suggests how responders during a disaster can make sure their services reach and address the needs of older adults. Examples are provided of promising practices in serving older adults before, during, and after disasters. (MDC was formerly Manpower Development Corp.)

This article describes a survey conducted in Los Angeles County in California to examine disaster preparedness among people with disabilities, people with chronic health conditions, and people with serious mental illness (SMI). They found that people with SMI were significantly less likely than those without SMI to have disaster supplies and an emergency communication plan.

This resource is a map released each week showing levels of drought across the country, as well as areas that are abnormally dry and may be entering or emerging from drought. The Drought Monitor website includes current and past maps, data visualizations, the weekly summary of drought conditions across the nation, and forecast and outlook information.

The Department of Homeland Security website for first responders provides a portal that allows Federal, State, local, and tribal first responders to easily access and leverage Federal web services; information on resources, products, standards, testing, and evaluation; and best practices in a collaborative environment.

NRC is an independent agency created by Congress to ensure the safe use of radioactive materials. The agency regulates commercial nuclear power plants and other uses of nuclear materials, such as in nuclear medicine, through licensing, inspection, and enforcement of its requirements.

This paper reports on a study in which researchers examined associations between and among the death of a pet, perceived social support after a hurricane, and psychological distress. [Citation: Lowe SR, Rhodes JE, Zwiebach L, Chan CS. J Trauma Stress. 2009 Jun;22(3):244-7. doi: 10.1002/jts.20403.]

This fact sheet discusses five components of resilience in the workplace: leadership, culture, people, systems, and settings. [Author: Bell, M.]

This video describes how biological agents such as smallpox, anthrax, and viral hemorrhagic fevers have been or can be used as bioterrorist weapons.

The authors of this PowerPoint presentation share information about the negative effects that a pandemic can have on the mental health of affected community members. The PowerPoint presents information on emotional responses, grief and loss, and mental health planning and response.

This tip sheet provides information for parents on how to manage exposure to media coverage of tornadoes for themselves and their children. The resource describes how media exposure may affect children and steps parents can take to address children’s concerns and emotions related to media exposure and other discussion of a tornado.

The NCTSN describes tornadoes and the effects they commonly have on children and families. This part of the NCTSN’s website includes information and links to resources about how parents can prepare their families for tornadoes and help their children cope with the effects of a tornado.