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.

Part of the Psychological First Aid (PFA) Field Operations Guide, this handout provides information that disaster survivors can use to avoid misuse of alcohol, prescription medications, and other drugs after a disaster. It also provides tips for survivors in recovery to avoid relapse after a disaster.

This issue of the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center’s research newsletter discusses reactions children and youth may have to a natural disaster. It also describes a variety of mental health issues and mental disorders that may occur, as well as substance use and misuse issues among adolescents, and risk and protective factors.

This article presents an overview of how extreme weather events caused by climate change can cause increased stress and contribute to more serious mental health issues. It also identifies individuals who are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, including children and people with existing mental illness. Lastly, it considers the potential long-term mental health effects of climate change.

Funded by SAMHSA and administered by the American Psychiatric Association, this initiative aims to advance the use of a person-centered approach to care to ensure that people with serious mental illness (SMI) find the treatment and support they need. For clinicians, SMI Adviser offers access to education, data, and consultations to make evidence-based treatment decisions.

This fact sheet can be used by anyone preparing for or responding to the mental health consequences of disasters.

This web page provides an overview of how a disaster or traumatic event may affect a person with serious mental illness (SMI) differently because of the way he or she experiences a disaster. It also offers information that suggests that people with SMI are more likely to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following disasters than people without SMI.

This blog post discusses the importance of addressing issues related to opioid misuse and addiction as part of overall disaster preparedness, response, and recovery plans. It includes ways to plan for disruptions in treatment, as well as increases in illicit drug use.

This article describes research on the process and effects of merging, after Hurricane Sandy, of substance use disorder treatment programs in New York City to ensure continuity of care. Investigators interviewed healthcare practitioners in the programs to understand challenges and measures they took that proved successful in terms of patient retention and both patient and staff health and well-being following the hurricane.

This pamphlet provides information on what may define a substance use problem and its relation to trauma. It also discusses the effects of substance misuse on traumatic stress, and how to approach treatment for people with both traumatic stress and substance use issues or conditions.

This guide discusses barriers and challenges to accessing substance use disorder and mental health treatment services in rural communities. It also gives information on implementing telehealth as a method to increase access to services and the benefits of telehealth.

Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and Android and BlackBerry devices, this app is designed to support responders in meeting the mental health and substance use-related (behavioral health) needs of disaster-affected communities. It can be used to access preparedness and response information and to find local behavioral health services for referrals.

This document reports on the findings of a project to understand issues in mental and substance use disorder services in rural areas. It covers barriers to mental health and substance use disorder service delivery, model programs and policy strategies, and the roles of telehealth and state and local organizations in service delivery in rural communities.

This report describes a study to identify promising practices for rural mental health and substance use-related programs across the United States. The report explains the importance of promising practices, defines and describes promising practices, and presents in Appendix C the programs included in the study.

This pamphlet provides information on what may define a substance use problem and its relation to trauma. It also discusses the effects of substance misuse on traumatic stress, and how to approach treatment for people who are suffering from both.

This brief explores challenges faced by youth experiencing homelessness and defines trauma and related consequences, such as substance use, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. It includes treatment considerations for mental health and substance use disorder service and treatment professionals when working with youth experiencing homelessness who are coping with trauma or retraumatization.

This resource provides tips on how to manage alcohol, drug, and medication use following a disaster. It also provides information for people who have experienced an alcohol or drug problem in the past and are worried about misusing substances again after a disaster. Disaster response workers can provide this resource to survivors as an overview of the topic of post-disaster substance use.

This handout provides information that disaster survivors can use to avoid misuse of alcohol, prescription medications, and other drugs after a disaster. It also provides tips for survivors in recovery to avoid relapse after a disaster.

The At-Risk Individuals, Behavioral Health & Community Resilience Division aims to ensure that all affected by disaster have access to physical and mental health services. Their mission is to help those implementing emergency preparedness, response, and recovery activities to integrate and involve people with access and functional needs and people with behavioral health conditions, and support community capacity to recover from disasters.

This online resource from SAMHSA allows users to search for mental illness and substance use disorder treatment services in their area. Responders may find it useful in finding services for themselves or their coworkers or in referring individuals to treatment. Searches can be limited by state, county, and distance from a specific location.

This toolkit explores the importance of self-care and resilience building for professionals in health care and mental health and substance use disorder treatment fields during the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides a case scenario for participants to identify signs of stress and highlights strategies for developing a mental health and wellness plan.

This online resource locator lists physicians who have attained authorization to treat individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) with buprenorphine (a semi-synthetic opioid used to treat narcotics use disorders). Site visitors can search for physicians authorized to provide OUD treatment with buprenorphine by city, state, or ZIP code.

This web page provides information on prevention and treatment of substance misuse during and immediately after a disaster. It explains ways to prevent substance misuse and provides treatment information.

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 website provides information on Seeking Safety therapy, an evidence-based treatment that helps people with trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder, and substance misuse. It provides information on Seeking Safety trainings and articles on Seeking Safety, trauma, and substance misuse. The book and training on Seeking Safety cost money.