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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.
Funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and administered by SAMHSA, the CCP is a supplemental grant program to help states, territories, and federally recognized tribes affected by major disasters to address the mental health and substance use-related needs of their residents. This web page details trainings for staff employed by FEMA and SAMHSA’s CCP.
This free, 1-hour online course for fire and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel provides information on stressors and behavioral health issues and conditions that are more common in fire and EMS. It covers techniques for healthy coping and stress management. The course is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Pre-Hospital Continuing Education (CAPCE), which reviews and accredits courses for EMS continuing education credit.
This resource describes evidence-supported strategies for states and communities to use to implement suicide prevention activities and reduce suicide risk. The guide offers an overview of suicide as a preventable public health problem, explains evidence criteria for inclusion in the guide, and details and expands upon each strategy.
This web page lists information about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, provides a 988 partner toolkit, and includes data on suicide and prevention resources. It also features links to partner organizations and funding resources.
Organized by suicide prevention organizations, Suicide Prevention Now provides a report on a poll reviewing the public’s beliefs and attitudes about suicide and mental health. The website provides key messages and tools that people can use to support and communicate about suicide prevention.
Know the Signs is a California campaign to make the public aware of warning signs of suicide, ways to offer help, and available resources. There are resources that can be adapted by other organizations for awareness campaigns.
This page from the American Psychological Association has resources for caregivers, those experiencing suicidal thoughts, and behavioral health professionals. The page features blog posts, news stories, podcasts, and other resources.
The Disaster Distress Helpline is the nation’s first helpline dedicated to providing disaster crisis counseling. The toll-free helpline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This free, confidential, and multilingual crisis support service is available via telephone or text message (1–800–985–5990) to U.S. residents who are experiencing psychological distress as a result of a natural or human-caused disaster.
This guide outlines the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s work in fiscal year (FY) 2023 in areas including communications and awareness, programs, and research. The guide includes links to information and opportunities to engage in awareness activities and trainings.
This report outlines a national strategy to guide suicide prevention actions. It includes goals and objectives across four strategic directions: (1) wellness and empowerment, (2) prevention services, (3) treatment and support services, and (4) surveillance, research, and evaluation.
This part of the American Red Cross (ARC) website describes ways for people to volunteer with ARC before, during, and after disasters to improve community physical and mental health outcomes. For those interested in serving as disaster volunteers with ARC, free online disaster mental health training is provided.
On this web page, you will find infographics and fact sheets that summarize national suicide statistics based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The fact sheets present suicide statistics by gender, age range, states, and regions of the country.
This document follows up on the 2001 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. It lists six key action items needed to reverse the upward trend in suicide deaths. For each of the six key action items, smaller steps as well as priorities are identified. This resource includes suggestions for federal agencies; state, territory, tribal, and local governments; public health agencies; suicide prevention leaders and organizations; and others.
This website compiles resources for disaster responders from various disciplines on providing culturally competent suicide prevention and intervention services. The linked manuals and reports provide information on a broad range of topics in cultural competence in programs, practices, and services to prevent suicide and provide support to people with suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
Designed for mental health professionals and researchers, this online fact sheet provides information about trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicide. It presents suicide statistics, identifies types of trauma associated with increased risk of suicide (e.g., military sexual trauma), explores research on whether PTSD increases suicide risk, and highlights types of treatment for PTSD that may also lower risk for suicide.
This web page provides information on the factors that may lead to suicide. It lists warning signs that someone may be suicidal based on their behavior, mood, and what they talk about. It also describes the health factors, environmental factors, and historical factors that put a person more at risk for becoming suicidal.
This web page provides general information about suicide and how prevalent suicidality is among children and youth. It also identifies prevention strategies and lists resources on suicidality in children and youth; resources include webinars, publications, and links to organizations focused on suicide prevention.
This web page provides information for professionals seeking programs and practices to include or incorporate in a strategic approach to suicide prevention. The page includes links to lists of programs, information about the nature of the various lists, and discussion of different levels of evidence of effectiveness.
This series of videos covers topics in suicide prevention that are presented by leaders in the field. Lasting no more than 6 minutes, each video touches on a key idea in preventing suicide and emotional distress.
This literature review explores the effect of quarantine and isolation during disease outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics on the risk of suicide. It includes studies on the impacts of outbreaks and epidemics including the Spanish influenza outbreaks, H1N1 influenza, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Ebola virus disease, and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).
This web page provides information for farmers and families of farmers to help them recognize signs of stress. It also lists resources for coping with stress and depression and preventing suicide.
This online article provides an overview of suicide prevention in the Marine Corps, identifies warning signs and risk factors for suicide, and highlights ways for Marine Corps members and their loved ones to ask questions and offer support if they are concerned about someone. The web page also lists helplines and other sources of additional support.
This website outlines ways in which drought can affect the mental health of communities. It also includes links to resources to help people cope with the psychological effects of drought.
This website provides links to information on suicide prevention that is tailored for specific settings, such as the workplace, faith communities, schools, colleges and universities, and foster care. Each link goes to a page offering guidance and resources for a specific setting.