What skills/knowledge did they bring 

from their normal role that was helpful? 

What skills/knowledge/perspective did 

they gain from the disaster deployment 

that can enhance normal job function? 

Did his or her experience point them in 

directions in which he or she would like 

to move professionally or did it make 

them cognizant of assignments he or 

she would like to seek or avoid?

Tips for Managers

Supervisors can be very helpful 

in helping returning workers gain 

perspective on their disaster response 

experience, minimize adverse 

consequences for both the individual 

and the workplace, and help workers 

grow both personally and professionally 

from the experience. Supervisors may 

consider discussing these issues in 

large or small groups or individually 

with workers.

Supervisors may consider the following:

•	 Be aware of and acknowledge your 

feelings about and experience with 

the disaster and the effect of the 

deployments.

•	 Create an organizational atmosphere 

where people can be open with you 

about their experiences, feelings, 

and concerns.

•	 Optimize liberal/flexible leave 

policies for returning workers. 

Consider holding large and/or 

small group meetings to discuss the 

experiences and their affect on the 

workplace and workload.

•	 Encourage people to seek additional 

help in ways that are culturally 

competent and do not stigmatize 

those needing or seeking help.

•	 Be candid about the complex and 

potentially difficult job you have 

as a supervisor—meeting both 

individual needs and the need to 

maintain ongoing work.

•	 Have a one-on-one conversation 

with returning employees about 

what they have experienced and 

how that may influence their return 

to work.

SAMHSA Resources

Information Clearinghouses

SAMHSA’s Health Information 

Network (SHIN)

P.O.Box 2345

Rockville, MD 20847-2345

Email: SHIN@samhsa.hhs.gov 

(877) SAMHSA-7 or (877) 726-4727 

(800) 487-4889 (TTY)

(240) 221-4292 (FAX)

www.samhsa.gov/shin

Disaster Technical Assistance 

Center (DTAC) 

www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/dtac

Treatment Locators

Mental Health Services Locator

(800) 789-2647 (English and Español)

(866) 889-2647 (TDD)

www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/databases

Substance Abuse Treatment 

Facility Locator

(800) 662-HELP (4357) (Toll-Free, 

24-Hour English and Español Treatment

Referral Service)

(800) 487-4889 (TDD)

www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov

Hotlines

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

(800) 273-TALK (8255)

(800) 799-4889 (TDD)

SuicidePreventionLifeline.org

Other Federal Resources

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention—Mental Health

www.bt.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/

Federal Occupational Health 

Employee Assistance Program for 

Federal and Federalized Employees

www.foh4you.com or 

(800) 222-0364

(888) 262-7848 (TTY)

National Center for Post-Traumatic 

Stress Disorder (PTSD) 

www.ptsd.va.gov/

U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services—Employee 

Assistance Program

(202) 690-8229 

HHSEAP@hhs.gov

NMH05-0218

Getting Help

If you feel you need additional information, you may find this list of 

resources to be helpful.
·

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

www.samhsa.gov

A Post-Deployment 

Guide for 

 Supervisors 

of Deployed Personnel

Returning Home After Disaster Relief Work
Before Your Employees 

Return to Work

During disaster response and recovery 

efforts, your employees most likely 

worked under less than desirable 

conditions while taking care of others. 

Before they return to normal duties, 

you will want to offer your employees 

self-care tips to help them readjust to 

worklife. These include the following:

•	 Maintaining a healthy diet, routine 

exercise, adequate rest/sleep 

•	 Spending time with family and 

friends

•	 Paying attention to health concerns

•	 Meeting neglected daily personal 

tasks (e.g., pay bills, mow lawn, 

shop for groceries)

•	 Reflecting upon what the experience 

has meant personally and 

professionally

•	 Getting involved in personal and 

family preparedness.

Expecting the Unexpected

Upon returning to their routine duties, 

your employees may notice changes in 

themselves, coworkers, or their work 

environment. The following are a few 

examples of potential difficulties your 

employees may face and some tips on 

how you, as a supervisor, can help to 

overcome them.

Pace change—The disaster environment 

often moves at a pace that is much 

faster than the normal workplace. 

After working in a disaster response 

environment, this pace begins to feel 

normal. When returning to normal 

work, it may appear that people are 

moving at a much slower pace than 

before. It is easy to misinterpret this as 

laziness or lack of caring or motivation. 

•	 Help the deployed worker 

understand that it is probably him 

or her who has changed, not others.

•	 Discourage quick and unfair 

judgments, criticism, or 

assumptions.

Unrelenting fatigue—Even with what 

seems like sufficient sleep, deployed 

workers may experience chronic fatigue. 

Sometimes chronic stress results in 

never feeling rested. Chronic fatigue 

may also be a result of a medical 

condition. 

•	 Recognize the factors contributing 

to chronic fatigue.

•	 Discuss and educate workers when 

appropriate.

•	 Encourage a medical evaluation if 

problem persists.

Cynicism—Typically, during disaster 

work one sees the best and the worst in 

individuals and systems and it is easy 

to become cynical. This is expected. 

These feelings often diminish over time 

once a worker is able to focus on the 

positive results of his or her work.

•	 Discuss with your worker if this 

behavior is disruptive.

•	 Assist employees in regaining 

perspective.

•	 Encourage a referral for help if this 

becomes a performance issue or 

begins to have an adverse effect on 

workplace climate.

Dissatisfaction with routine work—

It is very rewarding to be involved, 

directly or indirectly, in saving lives 

and protecting our fellow citizen’s 

health and safety. Most work does 

not provide such dramatic and 

immediate reinforcement. Deployed 

workers might start seeing their daily 

work routine as lacking meaning and 

satisfaction. These feelings are normal. 

•	 Find ways to incorporate the 

positive things workers have 

learned and experienced during 

disaster response work in their 

personal and professional lives.

Many people who are involved, either directly or indirectly, in disaster work find it to be a unique blend of 

stressors and rewards. Both are typically powerful parts of the experience. After deployment, many workers 

have found the return to normal duties to be a complicated, prolonged, and difficult process. While some 

were deployed, others maintained the ongoing operation of the office. They too have experienced additional 

unexpected and unwelcomed demands possibly resulting in stress. This brochure is intended to assist 

supervisors in easing transition, reducing potential difficulties, and enhancing the positive consequences for 

the work unit.
•	 If the worker found this work 

especially rewarding, facilitate ways 

he or she might become involved in 

future events.

•	 If a worker learned that this work 

is simply not a good match for 

his or her skills and temperament, 

that is also important information. 

This knowledge will help you, as 

a supervisor, select staff for future 

deployments.

•	 Reinforce the perspective that 

these types of roles are not for 

everybody...and that is OK.

Easily evoked emotions—Sometimes 

the combination of intense experiences, 

fatigue, and/or stress leaves deployed 

workers especially vulnerable to 

unexpected emotions. For example, 

they may cry easily, be quick to anger, 

or experience dramatic mood swings. 

These are normal reactions that typically 

subside over time. In the meantime, 

be aware of their reactions, discuss 

their experiences, and be sensitive of 

comments that might be hurtful or 

upsetting to others.

•	 Identify this phenomenon early. 

Provide support and education to 

employee.

•	 If strong emotions become disruptive 

in the workplace, encourage 

additional leave and/or encourage 

worker to seek additional help.

•	 Encourage workers to be aware and 

monitor their reactions.

•	 Encourage workers to discuss their 

experiences in environments where 

strong emotions are OK. This may 

not be the workplace.

Relating our experiences—Though an 

employee may want to share his or her 

experiences with others, he or she may 

be unsure if it is appropriate. This is 

normal. 

•	 Caution workers that when 

discussing what they saw and did, 

care should be taken. In the disaster 

environment, discussing graphic and 

disturbing topics (e.g., death, bodies, 

and injuries) often becomes routine. 

It is easy to forget, when workers 

leave that environment, that others 

may be upset by what is reported.

•	 Alert workers to be sensitive 

when discussing their experiences 

with children and those in the 

workplace who may be especially 

emotionally vulnerable.

Difficulties with colleagues and 

supervisors—Deployed workers 

may not experience a welcome back 

from their colleagues and supervisors 

that meets his or her expectations. 

Coworkers may resent having to 

assume additional workloads, may not 

understand the difficulty of the work 

the responder did, or may resent the 

recognition that the responder receives. 

•	 One strategy to reduce negative 

feelings is to acknowledge them; 

be sure that you show proper 

appreciation for the impact of 

deploying others.

•	 Restate the view that everyone is a 

part of the response (not only those 

directly deployed).

•	 If the deployment may have 

resulted in exposure to potentially 

contagious illnesses (or coworkers 

believe this to be the case), 

returning workers may be 

isolated or stigmatized. Accurate 

information, delivered by an 

authoritative and unbiased source 

can help in this situation.

Cultural issues—Culture affects how 

an individual reacts to trauma. For 

example, showing emotion, discussing 

problems with others, or touching 

is acceptable with some groups and 

not with others. On the basis of 

this understanding, it is important 

to appreciate and respect these 

differences.

•	 Know the cultural groups that you 

supervise.

•	 Be aware of cultural issues.

•	 Seek guidance and consultation 

from members of/brokers for 

cultural groups.

•	 Acknowledge the limitation of your 

cultural understanding.

When to Seek Help

Remember, stress is a normal reaction to 

abnormal situations like disasters. If your 

employees experience the following signs 

of persistent or severe stress, ask them to 

seek help from a licensed mental health 

professional.

•	 Disorientation (e.g., dazed, memory 

loss, unable to give date/time or recall 

recent events)

•	 Depression (e.g., pervasive feeling of 

hopelessness and despair, withdrawal 

from others)

•	 Anxiety (e.g., constantly on edge, 

restless, obsessive fear of another 

disaster)

•	 Acute psychiatric symptoms (e.g., 

hearing voices, seeing visions, 

delusional thinking)

•	 Inability to care for self (e.g., not 

eating, bathing, changing clothing, or 

handling daily life)

•	 Suicidal or homicidal thoughts or 

plans

•	 Problematic use of alcohol or drugs

•	 Domestic violence, child abuse, 

or elder abuse

Sometimes it may be difficult to 

determine if what your workers are 

experiencing is a result of a physical 

illness or stress (or both). In some 

disaster situations, workers may have 

been exposed to infectious disease and/or 

environmental exposure that may result 

in signs and symptoms similar to stress. 

When in doubt, encourage employees to 

go see a health care professional.

Coping Suggestions

Help workers find ways to use their 

disaster experience to better understand 

themselves—Deployed workers have 

had an experience/opportunity that not 

many people have had. During that 

experience they undoubtedly learned 

things about themselves. What stresses 

them most? What were they able to 

handle in ways that surprised themselves? 

What unrecognized skills/talents did they 

discover? What did they learn about how 

you function in extreme environments? 

Find ways to use their disaster experience 

to enhance job function—A deployed 

worker’s normal job role probably does 

not involve disaster response.