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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. Nothing in these other than SAMHSA resources constitutes a direct or indirect endorsement by SAMHSA or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services of any non-federal entity’s products, services, or policies.
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 web page provides parents and caregivers with recommendations for supporting their child’s return to school after experiencing a tragedy, which can include mass violence incidents. It includes guidance for supporting children’s feelings, emphasizing school safety, and seeking further assistance if needed to ensure students’ comfort and resilience.
This web page clarifies and details understanding grief and the grieving process after the death of a pet. It reviews how different age groups, including seniors and children, grieve the loss of a pet, and includes tips for coping with grief experienced when a pet dies. It further links to additional external resources to aid in the grieving process.
This article provides parents and caregivers with tips for talking to children about racism and acts of violence. It highlights the importance of discussing these topics with youth and provides strategies and resources to support open discussion.
This video features Dr. Paramjit Joshi, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC, who offers guidance for teachers and counselors in supporting children in processing and coping after a school shooting or other traumatic event.
This web page provides parents and caregivers with recommendations for supporting their child’s return to school after experiencing a tragedy, which can include mass violence incidents. It includes guidance for supporting children’s feelings, emphasizing school safety, and seeking further assistance if needed to ensure students’ comfort and resilience.
Developed for mass violence event survivors and their families, this web page features a collection of resources for victims. It includes helpline information, information regarding victim compensation programs, referrals to victim support organizations, and links to relevant resources such as tip sheets and mobile apps.
Developed jointly by the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Education, and Health and Human Services, this guide is designed to help individual schools and school districts develop and update emergency operations plans in response to potential emergencies. It highlights lessons learned and recommendations to ensure high-quality school emergency operations plans.
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 tip sheet lists emotional reactions employees may have when returning to their work routines following a violent workplace incident. The author lists steps that can be taken to reduce the negative effects immediately after and in the days and weeks after the traumatic incident occurs.
This website aims to educate military families concerning the rights, benefits, and services available to them, and to inform them about issues that affect their lives. Information is provided on topics including deployment, health care, family life, education, and money.
This tip sheet provides guidance on communicating with the media for responders serving communities affected by disasters that involved the death of many people. The tip sheet emphasizes the importance of preparation and of identifying a set number of people who will provide information to the media. It also offers tips specifically for media interviews.
This flyer explores key Psychological First Aid principles to provide responders with strategies for working with COVID-19 pandemic survivors. It also highlights resources for additional support for those experiencing adverse reactions.
This document provides information on understanding grief and the grieving process after the death of a pet. It reviews different ways to grieve and includes tips for coping with grief experienced when a pet dies.
This tip sheet provides guidance to help leaders understand their role in individual and community recovery following a tragedy such as a natural or human-caused disaster. This resource offers leaders communication strategies for the immediate aftermath of a tragedy as well as throughout the recovery process. The list of common symptoms of grief can also help leaders provide support and plan recovery activities.
This flyer explores key Psychological First Aid principles to provide responders with strategies for working with COVID-19 pandemic survivors. It also highlights resources for additional support for those experiencing adverse reactions.
This children’s book follows Rosie, a young girl who is struggling after the death of her mother. It provides parents with strategies for offering support and encouraging healthy coping strategies for children struggling with grief. The children’s book is also adapted into a video format.
This video for children follows Rosie, a young girl who is struggling after the death of her mother. It provides parents with strategies for offering support and encouraging healthy coping strategies for children struggling with grief. This video is based on a children’s book also available online.
This video for children follows Rosie, a young girl who is struggling after the death of her mother. It provides parents with strategies for offering support and encouraging healthy coping strategies for children struggling with grief. This video is based on a children’s book also available online.
The Real Warriors Campaign is an initiative to promote the processes of building resilience, facilitating recovery, and supporting reintegration of returning service members, veterans, and their families.
This website features information and resources on a range of topics relevant to military families, such as military homecomings, the transition to civilian life, and relocation. Resources include videos, coloring and activity books, and tips for supporting children and other members of military families in coping with the stressors of military life.
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 website provides a support network, resources, information, a 24-hour hotline, and more for the surviving families of those who have died in service to America.
This website allows military personnel and their families to find a community-based Vet Center near them (there are 207 nationwide). Vet Centers provide free readjustment counseling and outreach services to veterans who served in a combat zone and to military family members dealing with military-related issues.
This online article introduces the concept of spirituality, explains how spirituality relates to trauma, identifies aspects of trauma most likely to affect spirituality, and suggests ways for spiritual and religious leaders and mental health care practitioners to support people with trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Links to additional information about PTSD are provided.
This resource from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network was developed for parents and caregivers to give insight on how and why children grieve, and what you can do to help.