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.

This guide provides information about drought as it affects the health of the U.S. public. Behavioral health-related information is discussed in various sections of this document, particularly beginning on page 27.

This LACCDR work plan offers questions and worksheets as a guide for communities and organizations seeking to build resilience.

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.

This web page from the APA website describes common reactions to hurricane events and provides tips for hurricane survivors for understanding and coping with these feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. A tip sheet also describes how psychologists and other mental healthcare providers can help those who have severe or prolonged reactions that disrupt daily functioning.

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 website provides information on Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), including what it is, the research and evidence for MHFA, its impact, and information on how to become certified.

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.

A comprehensive compilation of mental health first aid guidelines, including tips for helping adults and children through a disaster or traumatic event.

Held each year in March or April, this conference provides an opportunity for those involved in hurricane preparedness, response, and recovery to discuss important topics in the field, share ideas, and generate ideas for policy improvements.

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.

The Mental Health First Aid program, according to its website, risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how to help someone both in crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help.

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.

Developed to help local health departments design and conduct discussion-based pandemic influenza response tabletop exercises, this tool includes a user's guide, customizable PowerPoint template, objectives, and evaluation materials. To access these materials, scroll down the web page to the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness section.

This webpage provides information for people who are traveling out of the United States to support individuals and communities, including those that have been affected by disasters. It suggests steps for humanitarian aid workers to take before, during, and after travel to protect their physical and behavioral health.

This website offers independent study courses to help health providers better serve their veteran patients. Course topics include posttraumatic stress disorder, military sexual trauma, and traumatic brain injury.

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 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 infographic shows where to go and what to do in the event of a radiation emergency (i.e., get inside, stay inside, stay tuned for updated instructions from emergency response officials).

This article discusses the needs of women during and after disasters and emergencies. The document emphasizes the importance of gender in psychosocial considerations, the crisis phase response to an emergency, the relief phase response to an emergency or disaster, and reconstruction and the development phase following an emergency or disaster. [Authors: Wiest, R. E., Mocellin, J. S. P., and Motsisi, D. T.]

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