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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.
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This free, online training program aids responders in building skills in providing culturally and linguistically appropriate services in disaster-affected communities. To complete the course, users must register for an account. Upon completion, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers can receive 9 hours of continuing education credit.
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 online course offers approaches first responders can use to maximize safety in scenes where an individual is in mental illness- or substance use-related crisis. The 1.5-hour course covers mental and substance use disorders, as well as de-escalation techniques.
This free online course is designed to help first responders (police, firefighters, and emergency medical services personnel) cope with the opioid overdose crisis. The course highlights the stressors first responders face due to the crisis, as well as coping and stress management strategies.
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 also covers techniques for healthy coping and stress management. The course is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Pre-hospital Continuing Education for continuing education credit.
Designed for law enforcement officers, this free online course describes common stressors in the line of duty and identifies ways to manage stress. The course highlights signs and symptoms of stress, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and suicidal thoughts that law enforcement officers may notice in themselves or their coworkers. It also provides information on where and how to seek additional help.
This free course, offered by FEMA, was developed for staff members working in disaster operations at a FEMA Joint Field Office or other disaster response efforts and areas. It offers ideas for the inclusion of people with disabilities and other access and functional needs in disaster response, both as responders and as members of communities affected by disasters.
This web page details the collaborative National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and International Association of Fire Fighters Emergency Responder Training Program, tailored to address the occupational safety and behavioral health needs of emergency responders working in fire departments across the nation. The web page provides additional details on the importance of firefighting training.
This 1-hour course uses scenarios to teach concepts of Psychological First Aid in responding to disasters. The course is designed to help participants assess survivors for trauma and use mental health interventions to help stabilize survivors in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. The course is intended for public health professionals and anyone involved with post-disaster recovery.
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 free online course is designed to help first responders cope with the opioid overdose crisis. The course highlights stressors first responders face due to the crisis, as well as coping and stress management strategies.
This recorded training features subject matter experts who explore the impacts of mass violence or domestic terrorism incidents on law enforcement officers. The training highlights the effect of vicarious trauma on first responders and provides strategies for organizations to support their personnel and mitigate the effects.
This 1-hour course covers mental health assessment and intervention with disaster survivors, as well as making sure services are culturally appropriate. The course is intended for emergency medical technicians, primary care practitioners, public health professionals, and others who will support disaster survivors. To complete the course, users must create an account through Prepare Iowa’s training platform.
This 1-hour course offers an overview of how disaster affects children and adolescents and emphasizes skills such as administering Psychological First Aid to children and screening them for mental disorders. The course is provided through Prepare Iowa, a partnership of the Iowa Department of Public Health and the University of Iowa. To access this course, users must create an account through Prepare Iowa’s training platform.
Provided through Prepare Iowa, a collaboration of the Iowa Department of Health and the University of Iowa, this 1-hour course is intended for anyone who may come into professional contact with disaster victims. The course defines and describes disaster and trauma and explains how proximity to a disaster affects potential for a traumatic response. To access this course, users must create an account through Prepare Iowa’s training platform.
This free, on-demand online course describes Stress First Aid and prepares fire, emergency medical services, and rescue personnel to use this technique, which includes several actions responders can use to manage stress for themselves and their teams. While the course is available free of charge, people need to set up a free account with the Fire Hero Learning Network website to access it.
Psychological First Aid (PFA) Online is an interactive course in which the participant learns about PFA by taking on the role of a provider after a disaster. The course includes expert tips, videos, and activities in support of learning. The course is available free of charge; however, to complete a course, you must create a National Child Traumatic Stress Network Learning Center account.
Psychological First Aid (PFA) Online is an interactive course in which the participant learns about PFA by taking on the role of a provider after a disaster. The course includes expert tips, videos, and activities in support of learning. The course is available free of charge; however, to complete the course, you must create an NCTSN Learning Center account.
This toolkit is designed to support delivery of a training for mental health and other professionals on supporting children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in coping with and recovering from trauma. Although the toolkit is available free of charge, users must create an NCTSN Learning Center account and log in to access this resource.
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates and equips local teams to support their communities in and after disasters, providing services such as light search and rescue and disaster medical operations. This 6-hour course is designed to prepare individuals for a classroom-based CERT Basic Training course in their area, which is required before they can serve as CERT volunteers.
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates and equips local teams to support their communities in and after disasters, providing services such as light search and rescue and disaster medical operations. This 6-hour course is designed to prepare individuals for a classroom-based CERT Basic Training course in their area, a requirement before individuals can serve as CERT volunteers.
Psychological First Aid (PFA) Online is an interactive course in which the participant learns about PFA by taking on the role of a provider after a disaster. The course includes expert tips, videos, and activities in support of learning. The course is available free of charge; however, to complete the course, you must create an NCTSN Learning Center account.
This 5-hour online course prepares responders and others working with disaster survivors to use Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR) to help survivors manage their reactions and cope with difficulties in the weeks and months after a disaster. The course covers the basics of delivering SPR and the core skills of SPR. Users must create a free account with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network Learning Center to access the course.
This 5-hour online course prepares responders and others working with disaster survivors to use SPR to help survivors manage their reactions and cope with difficulties in the weeks and months after a disaster. The course covers the basics of delivering SPR and the core skills of SPR. Users must create a free account with the NCTSN Learning Center to access the course.
Provided through Prepare Iowa, a collaboration of the Iowa Department of Health and the Institute for Public Health Practice at the University of Iowa, this 15-minute course is designed to make emergency responders aware of the stress they may experience during disaster response and to equip them with ways to manage stress. The course presents symptoms of traumatic stress and techniques for managing stress during and after disaster response.