Resources for Immediate 

Disaster Behavioral Health Response

January 7, 2020

• Tips for Survivors of a Disaster or Other Traumatic Event: Managing Stress—This Substance Abuse 

and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) tip sheet gives stress prevention and management 

tips for dealing with the effects of trauma, mass violence, or terrorism. It lists tips to relieve stress, 

describes how to know when to seek professional help, and provides accompanying resources.

https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Tips-for-Survivors-of-a-Disaster-or-Other-Traumatic-Event-ManagingStress/SMA13-4776

This tip sheet is also available in Spanish at https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Tips-for-Survivors-of-aDisaster-or-Other-Traumatic-Event-Managing-Stress-Spanish-Version-/SMA13-4776SPANISH. A 

similar tip sheet is available in Punjabi at https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Tips-for-Survivors-of-aTraumatic-Event-Managing-Your-Stress-Punjabi-Version-/NMH05-0209PUNJABI. 

• Coping with a Disaster or Traumatic Event—At this web page, the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC) emphasizes the importance of coping after a disaster, and getting professional help if 

needed, with reactions that may be difficult and intense. Links are provided to additional information 

about managing your emotional health as a survivor, supporting your children in coping, and making time 

for self-care as a disaster responder.

https://emergency.cdc.gov/coping/index.asp

This information is available in Spanish at https://emergency.cdc.gov/es/coping/index.asp.

• Coping With Grief After Community Violence—This SAMHSA tip sheet introduces some of the signs of 

grief and anger after an incident of community violence, provides useful information about to how to 

cope with grief, and offers tips for helping children deal with grief.

https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Coping-With-Grief-After-Community-Violence/SMA14-4888

• Mass Violence/Community Violence—This SAMHSA Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series

(DBHIS) installment is a collection of resources about common reactions to incidents of mass violence, 

community violence, and terrorism; tips for coping with such incidents; and ways to support children and 

youth in coping. https://www.samhsa.gov/dbhis-collections/massviolence?term=Mass%20Violence%202017-DBHIS

• The Impact of Disaster and Mass Violence Events on Mental Health— This online article from the 

National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) describes common reactions that disaster 

survivors may experience. While most reactions lessen over time, some may turn into long-term and 

severe responses, such as PTSD.

https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/type/violence_trauma_effects.asp 

General Disaster Response and Recovery Information

Coping with Civil Unrest, Community Violence, Mass Violence, and Trauma
Learn more at the SAMHSA DTAC website at https://www.samhsa.gov/dtac. 2

• Faith-based Communities and Spiritual Leaders—This SAMHSA DBHIS collection contains 

resources to help communities of faith and spiritual leaders to support survivors of natural and humancaused disasters. It features faith-based organizations involved in disaster response, resources that 

highlight the role faith leaders can play in helping communities recover after disasters, and information 

about working with children and other special populations after disasters.

https://www.samhsa.gov/dbhis-collections/faith-based?term=Faith-Based-DBHIS 

• Children and Disaster—This tip sheet from the National Disaster Interfaiths Network (NDIN) discusses 

common reactions of children and youth to traumatic events, the importance of family in the recovery 

effort, recommendations to help religious leaders meet the emotional needs of children and youth, and 

information on how to use support networks. 

http://www.n-din.org/ndin_resources/tipsheets_v1208/24_NDIN_TS_Children.pdf 

• Faith Communities and Disaster Mental Health—This NDIN tip sheet provides information for 

religious leaders about common stress reactions people may experience in response to a disaster and 

suggests ways they can cope, and help others cope, with disaster stress reactions. The sheet also provides 

information on referring people for mental health services. 

http://www.n-din.org/ndin_resources/tipsheets_v1208/11_NDIN_TS_DisasterMentalHealth.pdf

• Understanding Child Trauma—This web page identifies events that children and youth may experience 

as traumatic, presents statistics on traumatic experiences and their effects on children and youth, lists 

signs of traumatic stress in children and youth of various ages, and offers tips for parents and other 

important adults in the lives of children and youth for helping children and youth to cope with trauma. 

Links to resources for more information and support are also provided.

https://www.samhsa.gov/child-trauma/understanding-child-trauma 

• After a Crisis: How Young Children Heal—This tip sheet from the National Child Traumatic Stress 

Network describes how young children may respond to disasters and other crises and suggests ways for 

parents and other caregivers to interpret their behavior and support them in coping. The tip sheet uses the 

word SAFETY as a memory aid for readers, with each main tip beginning with a letter in the word. 

https://www.nctsn.org/resources/after-crisis-helping-young-children-heal

• Age-related Reactions to a Traumatic Event—In this information and tip sheet, the National Child 

Traumatic Stress Network provides an overview of how children and adolescents may react to natural and 

human-caused disasters that they experience as traumatic. It describes reactions typical within specific 

age ranges and offers tips for parents and other caregivers, school personnel, healthcare practitioners, and 

community members to help children and adolescents cope.

https://www.nctsn.org/resources/age-related-reactions-traumatic-event

• Helping Youth After Community Trauma: Tips for Educators—In this 1-page tip sheet, the National 

Child Traumatic Stress Network identifies 10 ways in which youth may react to community traumas such 

as natural or human-caused disasters and suggests ways for educators to respond to these reactions and 

support youth in coping. The tip sheet also advises educators to find professional mental health support 

for youth—and for themselves—as needed. https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/tipsheet/helping_youth_after_community_trauma_for_educators_final_explosions.pdf 

• National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) Position Statement—Racial Injustice and 

Trauma: African Americans in the U.S.—In this position statement, the NCTSN highlights the legacy of 

Resources for Faith-based Communities and Spiritual Leaders

Resources for Children, Youth, Parents and Other Caregivers, and Schools
Learn more at the SAMHSA DTAC website at https://www.samhsa.gov/dtac. 3

slavery, including persisting racial injustices, on African Americans in the United States. The statement 

speaks out for the importance of acknowledging the trauma that African Americans have experienced and 

continue to experience and commits to several steps to heighten awareness of the impact of trauma and 

racism on African American children and families and support improvement of care by child trauma 

professionals.

https://www.nctsn.org/resources/racial-injustice-and-trauma-african-americans-us-nctsn-positionstatement 

• Parent Tips for Helping Adolescents After Disasters—This table lists possible reactions, suggested 

responses, and examples of things parents can do and say to children affected by a disaster.

https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/pfa_parent_tips_for_helping_adolescents_after_disaste

rs.pdf

The table is also available in Spanish at 

https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/pfa_parent_tips_for_helping_adolescents_after_disaste

rs_sp.pdf. 

• Parent Tips for Helping Infants and Toddlers After Disasters—This table lists possible reactions, 

how to understand them, and suggestions that can help parents of infants and toddlers support their young 

children in coping with their emotions after a disaster.

https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/pfa_parent_tips_for_helping_infants_and_toddlers_aft

er_disasters.pdf

The table is also available in Spanish at 

https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/pfa_parent_tips_for_helping_infants_and_toddlers_aft

er_disasters_sp.pdf. 

• Parent Tips for Helping Preschool-age Children After Disasters—This table lists possible reactions, 

suggested responses, and examples of things parents can do and say to help children in their preschool 

years who have been affected by a disaster.

https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/pfa_parent_tips_for_helping_preschool_age_children_

after_disasters.pdf

The table is also available in Spanish at 

https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/pfa_parent_tips_for_helping_preschool_age_children_

after_disasters_sp.pdf. 

• Parent Tips for Helping School-age Children After Disasters—This table lists possible reactions, 

suggested responses, and examples of things parents can do and say to support their school-age children 

after a disaster.

https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/pfa_parent_tips_for_helping_school_age_children_afte

r_disasters.pdf

The table is also available in Spanish at 

https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/pfa_parent_tips_for_helping_school_age_children_afte

r_disasters_sp.pdf. 

• Resilience and Coping Intervention (RCI)—This intervention can be used to help children and 

adolescents cope with disasters and other forms of community trauma. RCI is designed for groups of 5 to 

10 people and can be delivered in one or several sessions. RCI groups can be implemented in programs 

based in schools, faith-based organizations, or clinical settings and led by teachers, counselors, or other 

professionals who have been trained in the intervention.

https://dcc.missouri.edu/rci.html 
Learn more at the SAMHSA DTAC website at https://www.samhsa.gov/dtac. 4

• Tips for Parents on Media Coverage—In this 2-page tip sheet, the National Child Traumatic Stress 

Network explains the effects that media coverage of a violent incident may have on children and teens 

and suggests ways for parents and other caregivers to help children and teens manage reactions to media 

coverage and the violent event. The tip sheet also includes tips for families with involvement in a violent 

incident.

https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/tips_for_parents_media_coverage.pdf 

• Tips for Disaster Responders: Preventing and Managing Stress—This SAMHSA tip sheet helps disaster 

response workers prevent and manage stress. It includes strategies to help responders prepare for their 

assignment, use stress-reducing precautions during the assignment, and manage stress in the recovery 

phase of the assignment. https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Preventing-and-Managing-Stress/SMA14-4873

This tip sheet is available in Spanish at https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Tips-for-Disaster-RespondersPreventing-And-Managing-Stress-Spanish-Version-/SMA14-4873SPANISH.

• Emergency Responders: Tips for Taking Care of Yourself—This online article from the Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasizes the importance of responder self-care and presents 

steps responders can take before, during, and after deployment to manage stress and avoid burnout and 

secondary traumatic stress. Suggestions are provided for working with other responders on stress 

management as well as maintaining habits to support health and optimal functioning as a responder.

https://emergency.cdc.gov/coping/responders.asp 

• Surviving Field Stress for First Responders—Provided by CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and 

Disease Registry, this online course is designed to help all types of first responders and the public to be 

prepared for disasters. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/emes/health_professionals/surviving_field_stress.html

• Traumatic Incident Stress: Information for Emergency Response Workers—This CDC fact sheet 

outlines symptoms of traumatic incident stress and lists activities emergency response workers can do on 

site and at home to cope with the challenging aspects of disaster response. 

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/works/coversheet643.html

• Post-disaster Traumatization: Risk and Protective Factors—This Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration (SAMHSA) Disaster Technical Assistance Center webcast informs disaster 

behavioral health professionals about the concepts and signs of retraumatization and associated risk and 

protective factors. It also highlights promising treatment strategies and tips for avoiding retraumatization.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O7w6pu4BdI&list=PLBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6

• Tips for Survivors of a Disaster or Other Traumatic Event: Coping With Retraumatization—In this tip 

sheet, SAMHSA defines retraumatization as "reliving stress reactions experienced as a result of a 

traumatic event when faced with a new, similar incident," notes that retraumatization is common, and 

identifies ways to cope. The tip sheet lists events that may lead to retraumatization; highlights 

retraumatization signs and symptoms; and, in addition to suggestions for coping, offers resources for 

more information and support.

https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Tips-for-Survivors-of-a-Disaster-or-Other-Traumatic-Event-/SMA17-

5047

Resources for Disaster Responders

Traumatic Stress and Retraumatization Resources
Learn more at the SAMHSA DTAC website at https://www.samhsa.gov/dtac. 5

• Media Coverage of Traumatic Events: Research on Effects—The National Center for PTSD presents 

information on the effects of intense media exposure following a disaster. This article describes the 

association between watching media coverage of traumatic events and stress symptoms.

https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/type/media_coverage_trauma.asp

• Complex Trauma: Facts for Caregivers—This National Child Traumatic Stress Network fact sheet 

explains complex trauma, which it defines as “both children’s exposure to multiple traumatic events and 

the wide-ranging, long-term impact of this exposure.” The fact sheet describes traumatic reminders, the 

ways in which complex trauma can affect a child’s view of the world, possible cognitive effects of 

complex trauma, and how parents or other caregivers can help children heal.

https://www.nctsn.org/resources/complex-trauma-facts-caregivers

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline—Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a source of support available 24/7 to people in 

crisis, including challenging reactions to disasters. Call 1–800–273–TALK (1–800–273–8255), or, for 

support in Spanish, call 1–888–628–9454. 

https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org

• National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) 

www.nimh.gov

• Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 

www.suicidology.org

• Indian Health Services 

www.ihs.gov/behavioral/index.cfm?module=BH&option=Suicide 

• American Academy of Suicidology 

www.aas.org

• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention 

https://afsp.org/

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) 

https://nami.org

• American Academy of Pediatrics 

www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and.../aap...death.../Suicide-Prevention.aspx

New Jersey:

Addiction Help 1-844-ReachNJ

Suicide Prevention Resource Center Allison Bagarozza Allison.Bagarozza@dhs.nj.gov

Jeffery Carrick, MPA Jeffery.Carrick@dcf.nj.gov

NAMI New Jersey (732) 940-0991

Mental Health Association in New Jersey (973) 571-4100

New York:

Addiction Recovery Resources 1-877-846-7369, Toll Free Multi-lingual 

Suicide Prevention Center of NY Sigrid Pechenik, PsyD Sigrid.Pechenik@omh.ny.gov

Additional Resource for Acute Needs

State/Territory Contacts
Learn more at the SAMHSA DTAC website at https://www.samhsa.gov/dtac. 6

NAMI New York State (518) 462-2000

The Mental Health Association in New York State (518) 434-0439

Puerto Rico:

Suicide Prevention Resource Center Rebecca Ward, Psy.D. mrward@salud.gov.pr

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline English:1-800-273-8255 Spanish: 1-888-628-9454

NAMI Puerto Rico 1-800-981-0023

Linea Pas 1-800-981-0023

U.S. Virgin Islands:

Mental Health, Alcoholism, and Drug Dependency Services https://doh.vi.gov/resources/topics/S

Call toll-free: 800-985-5990 

Text: TalkWithUs to 66746

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK(8255) www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

St. Croix:

Alcoholics Anonymous (340)7765283

Dept. of Health/Division of Mental Health (340)773-1311

Woman's Coalition: 24-hour hotline (340)773-9272 www.wcstx.org

St. Thomas:

Alcoholics Anonymous (340)776-5283

Dept. of Health/Division of Mental Health (340)774-4888

Family Resource Center (340)776-3966 www.fre@usvi.org

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

St. John

St. John Community Crisis Center (340)693-7233

Tribal Nations:

Suicide Prevention Resources https://www.samhsa.gov/tribal-ttac/resources/suicide-prevention

Violence Prevention https://www.samhsa.gov/tribal-ttac/resources/violence-prevention

Substance Use Disorders Resources https://www.samhsa.gov/tribal-ttac/resources/substance-use-disorders

Mental Health Resources https://www.samhsa.gov/tribal-ttac/resources/mental-health-promotion

Other Related Resources https://www.samhsa.gov/tribal-ttac/resources

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK(8255) www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

HHS Region II Contacts:

Dennis O. Romero, MA dennis.romero@samhsa.hhs.gov

SAMHSA Regional Administrator 

Karina Aguilar, DrPH karina.aguilar@samhsa.hhs.gov

SAMHSA Assistant Regional Administrator