A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

2019 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 1

Disaster Apps, Tools, and Technology

the Dialogue
IN THIS ISSUE

1 In This Issue

1 Contributors

3 Technical Assistance Snapshot

5 Social Media Before, During, and After Disasters

8 SAMHSA’S Disaster App Helps Responders Access Critical Resources

10 SAMHSA Mobile App Helps Health Care Professionals Address Suicide

14 Are Your Families Prepared for a Disaster?

16 A Look Inside the Disaster Distress Helpline

Karen Bogenberger, a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 

Corps, Disaster Survivor Assistance disability communications specialist, 

demonstrates a disaster-related app. Photo by Patsy Lynch/FEMA. 

The Dialogue is a quarterly technical assistance journal on disaster behavioral health which 

is produced by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC). Through the pages of The Dialogue, disaster 

behavioral health professionals share information and resources while examining the 

disaster behavioral health preparedness and response issues that are important to the field. 

The Dialogue also provides a comprehensive look at the disaster training and technical 

assistance services SAMHSA DTAC provides to prepare states, territories, tribes, and local 

entities so they can deliver an effective disaster behavioral health response. To receive The 

Dialogue, please go to SAMHSA’s home page (https://www.samhsa.gov), click the “Sign 

Up for SAMHSA Email Updates” button, enter your email address, and mark the checkbox 

for “SAMHSA’s Disaster Technical Assistance newsletter, The Dialogue,” which is listed in 

the Newsletters section.

SAMHSA DTAC provides disaster technical assistance, training, consultation, resources, 

information exchange, and knowledge brokering to help disaster behavioral health 

professionals plan for and respond effectively to mental health and substance misuse needs 

following a disaster.

To learn more, please call 1-800-308-3515, email dtac@samhsa.hhs.gov, or visit the 

SAMHSA DTAC website at https://www.samhsa.gov/dtac.

The Dialogue is not responsible for the information provided by any webpages, materials, or organizations referenced in this publication. Although 

The Dialogue includes valuable articles and collections of information, SAMHSA does not necessarily endorse any specific products or services 

provided by public or private organizations unless expressly stated. In addition, SAMHSA does not necessarily endorse the views expressed by such 

sites or organizations, nor does SAMHSA warrant the validity of any information or its fitness for any particular purpose.
2019 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 1

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

In This Issue

Today almost everyone from elementary school children 

to grandparents has a cell phone or access to one. This 

abundance of technology provides an opportunity for 

disaster planners to think about alternative ways, such 

as disaster alerts via cell phones or disaster apps, to 

communicate with target audiences.

There are mobile device apps that serve a wide range of 

disaster-related functions available for various audiences 

including disaster behavioral health 

planners, disaster responders, and the 

public. These apps and tools can assist 

with preparing before a disaster hits, 

help responders and their family get 

ready for a deployment, and assist with 

communication during a disaster.

In addition to apps, social media has 

proven useful during disaster response. 

Social media has become a common 

way for people to communicate on a 

day-to-day basis. A Pew Research 

Center survey showed that today 

around 70 percent of Americans use a 

social media platform to connect with 

others, access news, share information, and seek out 

entertainment (https://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/

social-media). This number has increased from 2005 

when only about 5 percent of Americans used 

social media.

Disaster planners should work to integrate these 

communication tools into their planning activities. 

A Congressional Research Service report, Social 

Media and Disasters: Current Uses, Future Options, 

and Policy Considerations, states that in the last 5 

years social media has played an increasing role in 

emergencies and disasters (https://ofti.org/wp-content/

uploads/2012/07/42245_gri-04-11-2011.pdf).

This issue highlights several tools and apps that may 

be useful before, during, and after a disaster. The first 

article of this issue highlights how a public information, 

education, and emergency outreach coordinator has 

incorporated social media into his job. We then highlight 

three useful disaster-related apps. The National Child 

Traumatic Stress Network’s Help Kids Cope app 

assists parents, caregivers, teachers, and responders 

in supporting children through the stress of sheltering 

in place, evacuations, and healing after a disaster. 

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration (SAMHSA) Behavioral 

Health Disaster Response App can be 

used by disaster responders to help meet 

the needs of survivors by providing 

preparedness and response information 

and assistance in finding local mental 

health and substance use services. 

SAMHSA’s Suicide Safe Mobile App 

helps health care professionals assess a 

patient’s risk of suicide. We wrap up this 

issue with an article about the Disaster 

Distress Helpline, which provides 24/7, 

365-day-a-year crisis counseling and

support to people experiencing emotional

distress related to natural or humancaused disasters.

Do you have a favorite app or tool that you use 

during disasters? Would you recommend a specific 

technology to others in the disaster behavioral health 

field? We encourage you to contact us to share your 

recommendations and experiences. ■

According to the Pew 

Research Center, about 

95 percent of Americans 

own a cell phone. 

The center also reports that 

the share of Americans 

who own smartphones 

is 77 percent, more than 

double the percentage the 

center found in 2011. 

Source: http://www.pewinternet.org/

fact-sheet/mobile

Captain Erik Hierholzer, B.S.N. Program Management 

Officer, Emergency Mental Health and Traumatic Stress 

Services Branch

erik.hierholzer@samhsa.hhs.gov

Nikki Bellamy, Ph.D. Public Health Advisor, Emergency 

Mental Health and Traumatic Stress Services Branch

nikki.bellamy@samhsa.hhs.gov

Shannon Loomis, M.A. Director, SAMHSA Disaster 

Technical Assistance Center

dtac@samhsa.hhs.gov
2019 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 2

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

Contributors

Melissa Brymer, Ph.D., Psy.D. 

is the Director of Terrorism 

and Disaster Programs of the 

University of California, Los 

Angeles (UCLA) and Duke 

University National Center for 

Child Traumatic Stress (NCCTS) and its National Child 

Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). In this capacity 

Dr. Brymer has been involved with the development 

of acute interventions, assessment, and educational 

materials in the area of terrorism, disasters, and school 

crises. She is the lead author of Psychological First 

Aid for Schools and Skills for Psychological Recovery

by NCTSN and the National Center for Posttraumatic 

Stress Disorder. She has served as a consultant for 

many federal, state, and local agencies across the 

country and internationally after disasters, terrorism, 

school shootings, and other mass violence tragedies. 

Dr. Brymer is the lead advisor to the Newtown Public 

Schools Recovery Program, and is the Principal 

Investigator for a National Institute of Justice research 

project examining the short- and long-term impact of 12 

different school shooting and mass violence incidents.

Christian Burgess, M.S.W. 

is Director of the Disaster 

Distress Helpline (DDH), a 

program of the Substance Abuse 

and Mental Health Services 

Administration administered 

by the nonprofit Mental Health Association of New 

York City. DDH calls (1-800-985-5990) and texts (text 

‘TalkWithUs’ to 66746) are answered by a network of 

independently operated crisis centers located throughout 

the country who provide 24/7 multilingual, confidential 

crisis counseling and support to disaster survivors and 

responders throughout any phase of a natural or humancaused disaster. Mr. Burgess serves on the National 

Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) 

Emotional and Spiritual Care Committee (ESCC), cochaired the New York City VOAD ESCC from 2013 

to 2014, and launched the Oregon VOAD Emotional 

and Spiritual Care Committee in June 2017. Prior to 

Link2Health Solutions, Inc. (part of the Mental Health 

Association of New York City), Mr. Burgess worked 

for 10 years in youth violence prevention and trauma 

intervention, including as Director of School Programs 

at Safe Horizon, one of the nation’s largest service 

providers for victims of crime and abuse.

Eric Frank has over 20 years’ 

involvement in public safety. 

Starting as a firefighter/

emergency medical technician, 

he rose in the ranks to fire chief 

of his department. Mr. Frank 

then served as the Disaster and Emergency Services 

Coordinator of Stillwater County in Montana. During 

this time he oversaw and rewrote the county’s emergency 

operations plan, helped the county achieve a Pre-Disaster 

Mitigation Grant, reviewed plans for wildfire suppression 

in Stillwater County, and launched the first use of social 

media by emergency management in Montana.

Mr. Frank came to work for the Clark Regional 

Emergency Services Agency (CRESA) in 2012. 

Originally tasked with working on the county’s 

emergency plans and facility safety plans, Mr. Frank now 

serves as Public Education, Outreach, and Information 

Coordinator for CRESA in Vancouver, Washington. 

At CRESA, Mr. Frank has continued to seek new 

strategies to change behavior regarding personal 

preparedness, including hosting Disaster Movie Nights 

and holding online preparedness challenges such as 

30Days, 30Ways. He presents regularly regarding 

personal preparedness, and using social media as part 

of emergency management and school safety. He also 

oversees the Citizen Corps programs in Clark County, 
2019 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 3

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

working closely with public safety volunteers throughout 

the county. Mr. Frank is a 2017 graduate of the National 

Emergency Management Advanced Academy, and he 

also serves as a board member of the Washington State 

Emergency Public Information Network.

Kristine Louie, Ph.D. is the 

Assistant Director of the 

Terrorism and Disaster 

Program of the UCLA and 

Duke University NCCTS. In 

this position, Dr. Louie is engaged in the dissemination 

of and training in acute interventions for responding 

to terrorism, disasters, and school violence. Dr. Louie 

is also involved in the development of educational 

materials and resources for professionals, teachers, and 

families preparing for and responding to catastrophic 

events. Previously, Dr. Louie worked as a disaster 

behavioral health specialist for the SAMHSA Disaster 

Technical Assistance Center. In this capacity, she 

provided technical assistance to states, territories, and 

federally recognized tribes providing behavioral health 

support following natural disasters.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SNAPSHOT

■ AS-4357

■ CA-4344

■ CA-4353

■ FL-4337

■ GA-4297

■ HI-4366

■ MO-4317

■ NC-4285

■ PR-4339

■ SC-4286

■ TN-4293

■ TX-4223

■ TX-4332

■ TX-4377

■ VI-4340

CCP grantees from the grants listed below referred disaster survivors to a range of additional services 

between October 3, 2017, and October 3, 2018. These data are from both Immediate Services Program 

(ISP) and Regular Services Program (RSP) grants.

Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP)

REFERRAL DATA HIGHLIGHTS

REFERRAL ISP RSP BOTH

Mental health services 27,354 20,101 47,455

Substance misuse services 1,016 1,404 2,420

Resources for those with disabilities 

or other access or functional needs 3,003 4,240 7,243

No referral provided 29,885 18,916 48,801

Community services 63,253 74,307 137,560

Other 6,496 5,076 11,572

Crisis counseling program services 85,672 95,047 180,719

TOTAL 216,679 219,091 435,770
2019 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 4

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

Recent Technical Assistance Requests

In this section, read about recent questions the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 

(SAMHSA) Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC) staff have answered and technical assistance requests to 

which they have responded. Send your questions and comments to 

Request: SAMHSA DTAC received a request from an 

experienced state disaster behavioral health coordinator 

to conduct an in-depth review of several books focused 

on disaster behavioral health. The SAMHSA DTAC team 

looked at whether the book offered a solid background in 

disaster behavioral health and covered the major issues 

professionals should expect to encounter in planning, 

response, and recovery activities. 

Response: SAMHSA DTAC created a report including 

summaries for each textbook. Highlights from each 

summary are below:

1. Disaster Mental Health Interventions: Core 

Principles and Practices by James Halpern, Ph.D. and 

Karla Vermeulen, Ph.D.

This textbook uses case studies and real-world 

examples to demonstrate the content discussed. It 

covers all aspects of disaster mental health and places 

emphasis on how disaster mental health differs from 

counseling in a clinical setting.

2. Mental Health and Disasters by Yuval Neria, Ph.D., 

Sandro Galea, M.D., Dr.P.H., and Fran H. Norris, 

Ph.D.

This textbook provides a detailed look at disaster 

mental health, including discussion of special groups 

and vulnerable populations that may require special 

considerations during planning, response, and 

recovery. It also references disasters outside of the 

United States.

3. Behavioral Health Response to Disasters by Julie 

Framingham, M.S.W. and Martell Teasley, Ph.D.

This textbook has a strong emphasis on disaster 

behavioral health in the United States, and specifically 

the public health-related disaster behavioral health 

system. It focuses on cultural competency and 

addressing vulnerability in preparedness and 

response work. It also has a strong incorporation 

of the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training 

Program.

SAMHSA DTAC ultimately recommended two of 

the three books textbooks that would work well in a 

college course. Disaster Mental Health Interventions

was recommended to be used for a course in which 

additional supplemental materials will be used because 

it provides an overview of the field rather than a deep 

dive in the subject matter. Mental Health and Disasters

was recommended to be used for a course where the 

text will serve as the structure of the course because 

of its robust and technical chapters. The third book, 

Behavioral Health Response to Disasters, may be more 

appropriate for current professional staff, rather than 

students without professional experience.

Request: SAMHSA DTAC received a request 

in the dtac@samhsa.hhs.gov email box from a 

police lieutenant who had recently participated in 

SAMHSA’s Shield of Resilience online training course 

for law enforcement officers. The individual was very 

impressed with the course and thought the content was 

so valuable that he wanted to upload it into his own 

agency’s training catalogue so that he would be able to 

track who completed the course.

Response: SAMHSA DTAC thanked the individual 

for his interest in the online course and provided him 

with several options to provide him with a compatible 

format that can be uploaded to his agency’s portal.

To access the course and for more information, go to 

https://www.samhsa.gov/dtac/shield-of-resiliencetraining-course. ■

dtac@samhsa.hhs.gov.
2019 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 5

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

Social Media Before, During, and After Disasters

By Eric Frank

These days, many Americans have 

a smartphone with us at all times 

that we use as a minicomputer, 

camera, music player, day planner, 

dictionary, calculator, and yes, a 

mobile phone. Our mobile devices 

have become our lifelines in more 

ways than one. One important way 

we use our smartphones is to access 

social media, which lets us choose 

the information we want to see and 

learn about.

As the Public Information, 

Education, and Outreach 

Coordinator for the agency I 

represent, social media allows me 

to have a two-way conversation 

with the community I serve. It has 

become one of the leading tools 

for me to share information about 

preparing for disasters, highlight 

our planning process, and advertise 

where and when we might be in 

person out in the community. It has 

allowed me to amplify our messages 

by using humor, video, and pictures, 

bringing to life information I believe 

everyone should receive.

Building a Relationship With 

the Community

When emergencies happen, public 

safety agencies need to connect 

with the communities they are 

sworn to protect. There are many 

ways to do so. Some jurisdictions 

have notification systems for major, 

large-scale disasters or events where 

the message needs to hit everyone. 

These systems can text, call, or 

email residents and businesses 

throughout an affected 

area. Other systems 

are designed to serve 

individuals in a smaller area, such as 

a specific neighborhood.

Social media can be one more 

part of your agency’s alert system, 

allowing you to connect with the 

community not only during the 

emergency, but before and after as 

well. It allows messages to be shared 

and amplified quickly.

It is crucial to start building a 

relationship before an emergency 

with the community. People today 

have a lot of information options. 

We no longer have to wait for 

network news, or the next print 

version of a newspaper. Breaking 

news happens every second, 

and with more and more digital 

platforms, it can be overwhelming. 

The information intake can be like 

drinking from a fire hose, and now 

we also have to try to figure out if 

Google People Finder was developed in 

2010 in response to the Haiti earthquake. 

The application allows users to post and 

search for the status of people affected by 

a disaster. During the 2015 Nepal earthquake, 

well over 7,500records on the People

Finder were searched.

7million+ users

near Nepal checked in using 

Facebook’s Safety Check after 

the April 2015 earthquake.

Source: Eastern Kentucky University. (n.d.). [When disaster strikes: Technology’s role in disaster aid relief] [Infographic]. Retrieved from 

https://safetymanagement.eku.edu/resources/infographics/when-disaster-strikes-technologys-role-in-disaster-aid-relief
2019 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 6

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

the information popping up in front 

of us is even factual. The better 

your conversation is with your 

community when things are good, 

the better chance you will have at 

ensuring the proper information is 

being shared during an incident.

Integrated Communications: 

Social Media and Beyond

Building a battle rhythm is important 

to ensure your information is seen 

when it needs to be. Disasters and 

emergencies can be stressful. Your 

community does not need the added 

stress of trying to find information.

It is important to do a little research 

and figure out what, if any, platforms 

your community uses the most. I 

have found more rural communities 

rely much more on Facebook, and 

Facebook Groups, while more 

urban settings rely on Twitter. In 

my experience, the mainstream 

media also prefers Twitter, instead 

of waiting for a press release. 

Whatever the platforms used in 

your communities, learn how you 

can use them. These days, I see four 

main platforms: Facebook, Twitter, 

Instagram, and Snapchat. Your 

agency or organization may also 

share information via their website, 

a blog, or on a popular neighborhood 

platform called Nextdoor. If you are 

not on Nextdoor, see if it’s being 

used in your community, and reach 

out to see if you can have an agency 

platform created.

It is important to note that social 

media platforms do not replace other 

methods of sharing information. 

They should complement other 

ways of communicating with 

the community, such as using 

emergency alert systems, holding 

meetings and events, working with 

the media, and providing updates 

through your agency’s website.

Best Practices in Social Media

Be sure to recognize that you do not 

own any of the content you post on 

social media. The platform does, and 

if by some chance that platform is 

gone tomorrow, your content is gone 

as well. Archiving and backing up 

information is important, along with 

providing links in social media to 

your website.

It’s important to engage with 

your community at least three to 

four times a week. Keep content 

fresh and new. It’s important you 

interact because of the data-driven 

algorithms that run behind the 

scenes on social networking sites. 

If you are not posting regularly, 

your audience will not see the 

information you share unless you 

stay active with them. Bonus Tip:

Including videos in posts, especially 

on Facebook, makes people more 

likely to see them due to current 

algorithms.

Let me illustrate this point a little 

more. According to the data, if you 

have a personal (non-work) account 

on Facebook, most likely you have 

between 200 and 300 “Facebook 

friends.” Yet in your news feed, 

how many of those 200 friends do 

you see posts from? It’s usually 

far fewer than your total group of 

Facebook, YouTube, and 

Twitter are some of the 

most popular social 

networking sites when 

natural disasters strike.

Source: Velev, D., & Zlateva, P. V. (2012). Use of social media in natural disaster 

management. Paper presented at the 2012 International Conference on Innovation, Trade 

and Economics 2012, Hong Kong, China. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/

publication/271585520_Use_of_Social_Media_in_Natural_Disaster_Management

A study by the American 

Red Cross shows more 

people are turning to 

sites such as Facebook 

and Twitter to learn 

about emergencies, get 

information, and check 

on friends and family.

Source: Velev, D., & Zlateva, P. V. (2012). Use of 

social media in natural disaster management. Paper 

presented at the 2012 International Conference on 

Innovation, Trade and Economics 2012, Hong Kong, 

China. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/

publication/271585520_Use_of_Social_Media_in_

Natural_Disaster_Management
2019 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 7

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

friends. Instead you see just those 

post from friends you interact with. 

I challenge each of you to pick a 

couple random friends that you 

haven’t seen something from in a 

while. Visit their page. Chances are, 

they have posts you haven’t seen 

because of the algorithms running in 

the background. The same happens 

with organizations and causes that 

you follow. If you do not interact 

regularly, their posts drop off.

On other platforms like Instagram 

and Twitter, posts happen in a split 

second. If those posts do not have 

hashtags you are following, nine 

times out of ten you will miss them. 

I encourage you to use a tool like 

TweetDeck or Hootsuite to follow 

specific hashtags. In my area, I 

follow hashtags including #Vanwa 

(used to identify posts related to 

Vancouver, Washington); #Clarkwa 

(related to Clark County in 

Washington); and #Clark911 (related 

to emergencies in Clark County). 

When I post to social media on 

Instagram, or Twitter for the agency, 

these hashtags are added so folks, 

including my local media, have a 

way of sifting through the haystack 

for that needle.

I am not a fan of tools that allow 

you to schedule posts to multiple 

platforms all at once from one 

source. Each platform has a different 

audience, and each audience uses 

the platform differently. They can 

tell when you are not sharing content 

that is organic to that platform. It is 

the easiest way to lose followers.

Conclusion

Social media doesn’t replace 

traditional methods of 

communicating with your 

community. It is a tool to be used 

in combination with others. It can 

help amplify your message, and if 

used effectively, it provides for a 

conversation with the community 

you serve. ■ 

Source: Fraustino, J. D., Liu, B., & Jin, Y. (2012). Social media use during disasters: A review of the knowledge base and gaps. Final report to U.S. 

Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate, Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Division. College Park, MD: National 

Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism. 

Retrieved from https://www.start.umd.edu/sites/default/files/files/publications/START_SocialMediaUseduringDisasters_LitReview.pdf

Following Hurricane Sandy in 2012, “hurricane” was mentioned 

on Twitter 1.1 million times within a 21-hour time period.
2019 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 8

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

SAMHSA’S Disaster App Helps 

Responders Access Critical Resources

By SAMHSA DTAC Staff

These days, emergency preparedness 

almost always requires us to consider 

our mobile devices. How can 

survivors reach friends, family, or 

first responders in case of a disaster? 

How can responders access critical 

resources to provide support to 

survivors if there is no electricity or 

Wi-Fi?

Many federal agencies and 

humanitarian organizations have 

developed apps to help individuals 

facing disasters communicate with 

loved ones, store medical information, 

receive and share weather alerts, and 

even locate pet hospitals. In the midst 

of the disaster or just after, though, 

an app won’t help mitigate the 

immediate or lasting effects of what 

just took place—unless it can help 

responders help survivors in real time.

Designed specifically for disaster 

behavioral health responders, the 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration (SAMHSA) 

Disaster App lightens the load for 

responders by providing access 

to trauma- and disaster-related 

resources—right on a smartphone, 

in real time, at the touch of a button. 

It provides resources for any type 

of traumatic event at every phase 

of response: from pre-deployment 

readiness, to on-the-ground 

assistance, and post-deployment 

support.

“When the president declares a major disaster, 

FEMA’s deployed personnel include 

digital communications specialists 

who monitor social media on a daily basis, 

picking up relevant references to FEMA and 

the current disaster. The digital team shares 

posts from survivors with experts who can 

help answer questions and clarify concerns.”

Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). (2018, April 16). Social media 

and emergency preparedness [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/

news-release/2018/04/16/social-media-and-emergency-preparedness
2019 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 9

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

For responders heading into disaster 

zones to help people in need, access 

to resources is critical to their 

ability to provide quality support to 

survivors. The SAMHSA Disaster 

App features resources from the 

original SAMHSA Disaster Kit at 

https://store.samhsa.gov/product/

SAMHSA-s-Disaster-Kit/SMA11-

DISASTER, a go-to resource for 

disaster response, in addition to 

added features:

• Search for and map the locations 

of nearby treatment facilities using 

SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health 

Treatment Services Locator. 

Responders can save treatment 

locations to their device ahead of 

time in case there is no Internet 

connectivity.

• Boost confidence by completing 

disaster readiness checklists.

• Review training materials on a 

variety of topics from disaster 

counseling basics to informationspecific terrorism response, as 

well as stress prevention and 

management tips.

• Filter content by topic, audience, 

and language.

• Share treatment facilities and 

content with colleagues and 

survivors via text message, email, 

or transfer the information to a 

computer for printing.

• Retrieve publications and predownloaded treatment locations 

at any time, with or without an 

Internet connection.

• Access resources for self-care, 

stress prevention, and guidance for 

returning home from deployment 

to everyday life.

All content can be pre-downloaded 

in case of limited Internet 

connectivity at the disaster site.

Formative research and interviews 

with subject matter experts and 

end-users from across the U.S. 

Department of Health and Human 

Services, the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency, the American 

Red Cross, universities, and state 

health departments revealed that 

responders prefer digital tools that 

can easily access local resources 

and maintain individual privacy. 

The SAMHSA Disaster App 

addresses the needs of survivors 

AND responders by also including 

self-care supports that can help 

mitigate compassion fatigue—an 

issue caused by a combination of 

burnout and secondary traumatic 

stress. Learn more about compassion 

fatigue at https://store.samhsa.gov/

system/files/sma14-4869.pdf.

The SAMHSA Disaster App is 

available for free on iPhone®, 

AndroidTM, and BlackBerry® 

devices. Learn more and download 

the App at https://www.store.

samhsa.gov/apps/disaster/. ■ 

“ [T]he Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration (SAMHSA) Disaster App

lightens the load for responders by providing

access to trauma- and disaster-related 

resources—right on a smartphone, in real time, 

at the touch of a button.”
2019 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 10

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

Suicide Rising Across the United States

SOURCE https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/suicide/infographic.html#graphic1

SAMHSA Mobile App Helps Health Care 

Professionals Address Suicide

By SAMHSA DTAC Staff

Suicide is a leading cause of death 

in the United States. A recent study 

from the Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention shows that suicide 

rates increased in nearly every state 

from 1999 through 2016 (see the 

CDC map above).

While mental health and primary 

care settings provide unique 

opportunities for individuals at 

risk of suicide to access effective 

treatment, many professionals 

receive limited or no training 

on suicide risk assessment and 

intervention. Increasing demands 

on professional time create a barrier 

to having meaningful one-on-one 

consultations with patients.

Recognizing the need for 

professionals to have access 

to quick-reference, life-saving 

resources and training, the Substance 

Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration (SAMHSA) 

developed Suicide Safe, a mobile 

app that helps professionals integrate 

suicide prevention strategies 

into their practice and address 

Suicide rates rose across the 

United States from 1999 to 2016.

Increase

Increase

Increase

Increase

Decrease

38 - 58%

31 - 37%

19 - 30%

6 - 18%

1%
2019 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 11

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

suicide risk among their patients. 

Suicide Safe is a free app based on 

SAMHSA’s Suicide Assessment 

Five-Step Evaluation and Triage 

(SAFE-T) card, available at https://

store.samhsa.gov/product/SAFE-TPocket-Card-Suicide-AssessmentFive-Step-Evaluation-and-Triagefor-Clinicians/sma09-4432. 

It is a familiar resource for disaster 

responders because the SAMHSA 

Disaster Kit, which is accessible at 

https://store.samhsa.gov/product/

SAMHSA-s-Disaster-Kit/SMA11-

DISASTER, includes SAFE-T 

practice guidelines and wallet cards.

Why Is Suicide Prevention 

Important in Disaster 

Response?

Several studies suggest an 

association of current major 

depression, posttraumatic stress 

disorder, and previous mental 

health problems with increases 

in suicidal behaviors following 

natural disasters. Those studies 

also identify some experiential 

factors that may be associated with 

suicidal behaviors, including severe 

destruction of property, injuries 

sustained by relatives, and danger 

to one’s own life, as well as adverse 

economic conditions, including high 

rates of unemployment. 

More information is available in 

a SAMHSA Disaster Technical 

Assistance Center Supplemental 

Research Bulletin that examines the 

intersection of disasters and suicide. 

Issue five of the Supplemental 

Research Bulletin can be found at 

https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/

default/files/dtac/srb_sept2015.pdf.

While preventing human-caused 

disasters is not always possible 

and natural disasters are out of our 

hands, there is research on when 

mental health and substance use 

issues and/or suicidal ideation tends 

to occur in relation to a disaster. 

According to research contained 

within the Supplemental Research 

Bulletin, some studies found that 

suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts 

are more likely to start to occur 

several months after a disaster, rather 

than immediately after it. 

By using suicide prevention 

strategies and tools such as Suicide 

Safe in communities affected by 

disasters early on, the hope is that 

more suicides can be prevented.
2019 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 12

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

u

What Is Included in the Suicide 

Safe Mobile App?

Suicide Safe helps professionals 

integrate suicide prevention 

strategies into their practice. The app 

enables professionals to confidently 

assist patients who present with 

suicidal ideation, communicate 

effectively with patients and their 

families, determine appropriate 

next steps, and make referrals to 

treatment and community resources, 

which are critical components of 

saving lives.

Informed by formative research 

and interviews with subject matter 

experts and end users—including 

primary care and mental health 

practitioners, suicide survivors, 

and suicide prevention experts 

from federal, national, and 

academic institutions—SAMHSA 

identified the specific educational 

needs, content, and features for 

Suicide Safe.

access to SAMHSA’s Behavioral 

Health Treatment Services Locator, 

interactive sample cases, and 

conversation starters that can help 

foster trust and guide meaningful 

discussions.

While the app can be useful for 

nearly any individual, SAMHSA 

considered culturally appropriate 

resources in designing the app that 

resonate with at-risk populations, 

such as tribal communities. One of 

the downloadable tribal publications 

The tools include patient and 

professional education materials, 

accessible from the app is To Live 

To See the Great Day That Dawns: 

Preventing Suicide by American 

Indian and Alaska Native Youth 

and Young Adults. This guide lays 

the groundwork for comprehensive 

prevention planning, with prevention 

broadly defined to include programs 

that a community can use to 

promote the mental health of its 

youth. The guide also covers actions 

communities can take in response 

to a suicide to help heal and thereby 

prevent related suicidal behaviors.

The causes of suicide are complex 

and determined by multiple 

combinations of factors, such as 

serious mental illness, substance 

misuse, painful loss, exposure 

to violence or trauma, and social 

isolation. As the federal leader in 

mental health and substance use 

disorders, SAMHSA is committed to 

continuing to work with its partners 

to provide states, territories, tribal 

entities, communities, and the public 

with the assistance and prevention 

resources they need.

Suicide Safe is one resource that 

can help. Visit the SAMHSA 

Store at https://store.samhsa.

gov/apps/suicidesafe/?WT.

ac=IQS_20150501_

SuicideSafeCaseStudy to learn 

more and to access links to 

download Suicide Safe.■

The following page is an informational 

pullout poster that you can print and post. 

It provides adult disaster survivors with 

information on common disaster reactions 

and how to get help.

Visit the SAMHSA website and watch the Suicide Safe App 

overview video to learn about the App’s key features and tools at 

https://store.samhsa.gov/apps/suicide-safe.
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center Have you experienced a disaster?

Disasters, both human-caused and natural, may cause behavioral, emotional, and physical 

reactions in the people who are affected. Most people who experience 

a disaster, whether it’s through direct or indirect exposure, are 

affected in some way.

Here are some common reactions to disasters: 

• Having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, sleeping too much, or

trouble relaxing

• Noticing an increase or decrease in your energy and activity levels

• Having difficulty talking about what happened or listening

to others

• Feeling anxious or fearful

• Being overwhelmed by sadness

• Feeling angry, especially if the event involved violence

• Having headaches or other physical pains for no

clear reason

• Being jumpy or easily startled

• Having trouble thinking clearly and concentrating

• Having difficulty making decisions

Are you or a loved one 

experiencing any of these or other 

reactions to a recent disaster?

THERE ARE PLACES TO GO FOR HELP.

Disaster Distress Helpline

TOLL-FREE: 1-800-985-5990 (English and español) 

TTY: 1-800-846-8517

TEXT: “TalkWithUs” (or “Hablanos” for español) to 66746

Mental Health Treatment Facility Locator 

TOLL-FREE: 1-800-789-2647 (English and español) 

TDD: 1-866-889-2647

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 

TOLL-FREE: 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) 

TTY: 1-800-799-4TTY (1-800-799-4889)

Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator 

TOLL-FREE: 1-800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357) 

(24/7 English and español) 

TDD: 1-800-487-4889 

FOR MORE INFORMATION on common disaster 

reactions as well as ways to cope with stress, check out 

the Tips for Survivors of a Disaster or Other Traumatic 

Event: Managing Stress and other disaster behavioral 

health resources on the Substance Abuse and Mental 

Health Services Disaster Technical Assistance Center 

website at https://www.samhsa.gov/dtac or call us at

1-800-308-3515.

FOR MORE INFORMATION on common disaster reactions

as well as ways to cope with stress, check out the Tips for 

Survivors of a Disaster or Other Traumatic Event: Managing

Stress at https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Tips-for-Survivorsof-a-Disaster-or-Other-Traumatic-Event-Managing-Stress/

SMA13-4776. Other disaster behavioral health resources are also

available on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Disaster Technical Assistance Center website at https://www.

samhsa.gov/dtac or call us at 1-800-308-3515.

2018 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 1 | 2019 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 1 | PPAGE 1 AGE 13
2019 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 14

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

Are Your Families Prepared for a Disaster?

By Melissa Brymer and Kristine Louie

Natural disasters can be a stressful 

experience for families. Whether 

it’s engaging children in activities 

to prepare, talking to them about 

what’s happening, or coping with 

the aftermath of a natural disaster, 

preparedness is critical. Help Kids 

Cope is a free, parent/caregiverfriendly app that highlights how 

families can prepare, respond, and 

recover from 10 different natural 

disasters or extreme weather 

emergencies (earthquakes, extreme 

heat, floods, hurricanes, landslides, 

tornadoes, tsunamis, wildfires, 

windstorms, and winter storms). 

This app is for Apple and Android 

mobile devices.

Help Kids Cope was created by the 

National Child Traumatic Stress 

Network and Ozark Center, Inc. 

in response to insights shared by 

parents from the May 22, 2011, 

deadly tornadoes that devastated 

Joplin, Missouri. Parents reported 

that while many great resources 

were given to them, having to 

move to different locations made it 

easy to misplace them. They also 

mentioned that some resources 

were difficult to access due to poor 

Internet connectivity or a lack of 

power for an extended period of 

time. Parents asked that we create 

an app so that the resources were 

readily available on their phone. 

Based on these insights, we created 

Help Kids Cope with funding from 

the Missouri Foundation for Health 

and the Substance Abuse and Mental 

Health Services Administration 

(SAMHSA).

The app includes a variety

of features:

• Provides parents with guidance

on how to explain various

disasters for children of different

developmental ages. For example,

parents may want to draw a

tornado for younger children while

describing that a tornado is “a big,

swirling windstorm that comes out

of a cloud during a thunderstorm.

The twisting funnel cloud can

touch down to the ground and is

moving fast.” For an adolescent,

a parent may want to start by

asking what they had learned at

school and may want to expand 

the discussion on what to do while 

driving. There are also audio 

clips of parents sharing additional 

suggestions.

• Specifies how to adapt

preparedness efforts for different

types of disasters. For example, if

living or traveling near a coast that

is vulnerable to a tsunami, families

can learn about the natural warning

signs that signal immediate

evacuation is needed. They can

also learn how to reduce smoke

intake during a wildfire while

traveling in a car. The app reminds

families to make sure babysitters

Have Them Act Now. 

Download Help Kids Cope.

Parents may wonder:

“How do I talk to my kids 

before, during, and after 

disasters?”

“How can I help my child 

stay calm when we evacuate 

in a wildfire?”

“What reactions from my 

child are common and when 

should I seek help?”

Help Kids Cope helps 

parents talk to their kids 

about the disaster they may 

face and how to best support 

them throughout.
2019 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 15

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

are oriented to evacuation paths

and how to keep pets and livestock

safe. It has checklists to help with

preparedness planning.

• Assists with different action

steps families should take before,

during, and after a disaster. This

includes preparing the home

for events where there is a prewarning, managing the family

anxiety while sheltering in place

or evacuating, and addressing

safety issues immediately after

the disaster. The app includes

information on how to find the

nearest public shelter open in

your area, how to register missing

family members, or whom to

contact if a child is missing. The 

app provides guidance on how to 

support children during the event 

as well as steps parents can take to 

care for themselves. For example, 

it includes strategies parents can 

use to cope if separated from 

their children and communication 

services are out during a disaster 

with no warning, such as an 

earthquake. It also includes 

recommendations for addressing 

children’s difficult questions such 

as whether a family member is 

alive when it isn’t known yet, what 

the family will do next if they 

have to leave the home, or why the 

adults are looking so distressed.

• Highlights different reactions

children can experience during

the recovery phase and strategies

to support them. The app

provides contact information to

the SAMHSA Disaster Distress

Helpline as well as guidelines for

when to seek help from a mental

health professional.

• The app links to additional

resources including children’s

activity books, tip sheets,

children’s books, and checklists.

Support the dissemination 

of the app in your 

communities by:

• Encouraging school districts or

Parent-Teacher Associations to

include a description of the app in

a newsletter or during September,

which is National Preparedness

Month

• Encouraging local utility

companies, weather stations,

and governmental emergency

management websites to link

the app

• Disseminating a flyer about the

app during community fairs or

preparedness workshops and

demonstrate how to use the app

• Encouraging realtors or

homeowners’ associations to

include a flyer at closing for

families new to the area so they

can learn how to prepare for new

threats

Take the time now and 

download Help Kids Cope at 

https://www.nctsn.org/resources/

help-kids-cope.
2019 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 16

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

A Look Inside the Disaster Distress Helpline

By Christian Burgess

Disaster Distress Helpline: 

Background

Vibrant Emotional Health (formerly 

the Mental Health Association 

of New York City) has been 

partners with the Substance Abuse 

and Mental Health Services 

Administration (SAMHSA) since 

launching the National Suicide 

Prevention Lifeline in 2005. That 

year, the first significant increase 

in call volume to the Lifeline was 

in August—right after Hurricane 

Katrina. During the weeks and 

months of recovery following 

Katrina, the Lifeline also provided 

support and backup to crisis centers 

located in and serving communities 

devastated by the disaster. It was 

that experience, in addition to the 

September 11 terrorist attacks that 

had occurred just 4 years prior, 

which demonstrated the need 

for a 24/7, national crisis service 

dedicated to ensuring that everyone 

in the United States and territories 

would have access to immediate 

crisis counseling and support as soon 

as a major disaster occurred.

In 2010, following the Deepwater 

Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of 

Mexico, SAMHSA once again 

partnered with Vibrant for the Oil 

Spill Distress Helpline (OSDH) 

project, a temporary service that 

created a sub-network from Lifeline 

centers located in and serving the 

Gulf region. It was from this project 

that the Disaster Distress Helpline 

(DDH) sprung in February 2012, as 

SAMHSA used the infrastructure 

created for the OSDH (which was 

phased down in December 2011) 

to create the country’s first crisis 

hotline dedicated year-round to 

supporting survivors and responders 

experiencing distress or other mental 

health concerns related to any 

natural or human-caused disaster.

How the DDH Operates and 

What Services Are Provided

The DDH is a sub-network of 

the National Suicide Prevention 

Lifeline, meaning that in order to 

answer calls or texts for the DDH, 

a crisis center must first be a part 

of the larger Lifeline network. This 

requirement is in place to ensure 

that DDH-networked call and text 

centers are accredited and adhere 

to accepted standards and required 

trainings in crisis assessment, 

intervention, and referral whereby 

callers and texters can receive 

support based on these and other 

best practices. In addition, crisis 

centers in the DDH sub-network 

also train staff and volunteers in the 

National Child Traumatic Stress 

Network’s Psychological First Aid 

(PFA) and receive further “Just In 

Time” training from Vibrant both 

year-round and in the aftermath of 

disasters that applies the principles 

of PFA to a disaster crisis call and 

text setting.

In general, crisis counselors with 

the DDH work to explore healthy 

coping with callers and texters; 

help to identify social supports; 

and connect with community-based 

resources for follow-up care and 

support. The goal of DDH call 

and text interventions is to support 

survivors, responders, and others 

who may be struggling with distress 

or other mental health concerns after 

a disaster to move forward on the 

path of recovery.

The core services of the DDH 

consist of a 24/7 hotline (1-800-985-

5990; press “2” for Spanish), which 

is also available toll-free to the U.S. 

territories, and a texting option 

(text TalkWithUs to 66746; text 

“Hablanos” for Spanish). Support 

is provided in over 100 languages 

through third party interpretation 

services accessed via the hotline. 

Deaf and hard of hearing individuals 

can utilize the text option, connect 

with the hotline via their preferred 

relay provider, or connect with the 

DDH via TTY at 1-800-846-8517. 

Because the DDH is a national 

service, calls and texts are routed 

to the next available crisis center 

and answered in the order they are 

received.

Recent Disasters and Common 

Presenting Concerns

In 2017, the DDH experienced 

record utilization following 
2019 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 17

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria; 

the Las Vegas shootings; and the 

wildfires in northern California. 

Call volume from August through 

October increased over 1,100 

percent compared to the same time 

period 3 months prior. Call volume 

following Hurricanes Florence and 

Michael in September and October 

of this year has thus far increased 

over 200 percent compared to the 

prior time period in July and August.

Some concerns of DDH callers 

and texters before, during, or in the 

hours or days immediately after 

these and other disasters—from 

incidents of community unrest 

to public health emergencies, 

transportation accidents, and major 

floods—include the following:

• Individuals and families (including 

caregivers of children, the frail 

elderly, or adults with special 

needs) feeling overwhelmed or 

anxious over evacuation or shelterin-place orders and other constant 

streams of information.

• Fear and uncertainty from those 

who can’t get in touch with 

loved ones in the affected areas 

due to power outages or tied-up 

communications.

• Immediate grief and other distress 

reactions related to any losses 

incurred during the disaster. For 

example, bereavement from the 

loss of a loved one or pet, or 

damage or destruction to a home 

or business.

Calls and texts in these early 

stages of the disaster cycle tend 

to be shorter and more focused on 

counselors disseminating accurate 

information and referrals from 

trusted sources to try and help 

the person feel calmer and more 

in control of a still-developing, 

unpredictable situation.

During the long-term recovery of 

a disaster, calls and text exchanges 

tend to be longer in duration, 

and it becomes more common 

for the presenting concerns to be 

related to deeper mental health 

concerns triggered or exacerbated 

by experiences from the event (for 

example, loss, economic strain, 

displacement, painful memories 

related to exposure to devastation 

or threats to one’s or a loved 

one’s safety and security) such as 

persistent anxiety, substance misuse, 

or thoughts and feelings consistent 

with symptoms of depression. 

Crisis intervention happens more 

frequently for callers and texters in 

this phase and referrals are more 

focused on connecting individuals 

and families with longer-term mental 

health resources in their community, 

such as to their nearest Lifelinenetworked crisis center, Federal 

Emergency Management Agencyfunded Crisis Counseling Assistance 

and Training Program grants that 

may have been operationalized, 

or to other providers located via 

the SAMHSA Treatment Referral 

Locator.

Whether in the preparedness, 

response, or recovery phase, the one 

consistent, ubiquitous need callers 

and texters are seeking from the 

Disaster Distress Helpline is to be 

listened to and heard. As one caller 

after Hurricane Sandy expressed, 

“Thank you for listening, because no 

one else has wanted to.”

For More Information

Email ddh@vibrant.org for more 

information about the DDH or to 

receive free copies of DDH wallet 

cards and brochures in English or 

Spanish for distribution in provider 

offices and field-based operations 

such as Disaster Recovery Centers.■

1 in 5

Americans has used 

an emergency app.

Source: University of San Francisco. (n.d.). [Social media: The new face of disaster 

response] [Infographic]. Retrieved from http://onlinempa.usfca.edu/resources/webinarsinfographics/social-media
2019 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 18

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Accessible Communication Technology for Disaster 

Survivors

This tip sheet from the Federal Emergency Management 

Agency (FEMA) shares a handful of different devices 

that individuals with disabilities and other access and 

functional needs can use after a disaster to communicate 

and gather information. Each of the devices listed is 

provided by FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers.

Find the tip sheet at https://bit.ly/2MyLThk.

American Red Cross Mobile Apps

The American Red Cross has a collection of mobile apps 

designed to share information and help with disaster 

preparedness. These disaster apps distribute tornado and 

hurricane warnings and flooding, notify you when an 

earthquake occurs, and help monitor other weather and 

emergency alerts. Additionally, there are applications 

for first aid care for yourself and your pets. All apps are 

available for both Android and Apple products.

Find all of the apps at https://rdcrss.org/2BIFVdw.

Pacific Disaster Center: Disaster Alert App

This app from the Pacific Disaster Center provides 

warnings before many kinds of natural and humancaused disasters. Users can customize the alerts they 

receive for storms, tornadoes, high winds, earthquakes, 

wildfires, and more. Disaster Alert can be downloaded 

on Android and Apple devices or used online.

Learn more and download the app at 

https://bit.ly/2N4XPaR.

National Center for PTSD: PTSD Coach Online

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Coach Online is 

a tool developed by the National Center for PTSD to 

help anyone struggling with anxiety, anger, sadness, or 

other emotions after a disaster or trauma. Individuals are 

able to select a symptom they would like to work on, 

and PTSD Coach Online provides a variety of tools and 

resources to help cope.

Find the tool at https://bit.ly/2vbAcaN.

Mobile App: PFA Mobile

In collaboration with the National Center for PTSD, the 

National Child Traumatic Stress Network provides the 

Psychological First Aid (PFA) Mobile app, a tool for 

first responders who provide PFA to individuals before, 

during, or after a disaster. This tool can be used by first 

responders who already know PFA to review guidelines 

and gather tips on how to best use PFA when responding 

to a disaster.

Learn more and access the app at 

https://bit.ly/2pT3rvP. ■
Prepare • Respond • Recover

Inform • Assist

SUBSCRIBE

The Dialogue is a publication for professionals in the disaster behavioral health field to share 

information, resources, trends, solutions to problems, and accomplishments. To receive The 

Dialogue, please go to SAMHSA’s home page (https://www.samhsa.gov), click the “Sign 

Up for SAMHSA Email Updates” button, enter your email address, and select the box for 

“SAMHSA’s Disaster Technical Assistance newsletter, The Dialogue.”

SHARE INFORMATION

Readers are invited to contribute to The Dialogue. To author an article for an upcoming issue, 

please contact SAMHSA DTAC at dtac@samhsa.hhs.gov.

ACCESS ADDITIONAL SAMHSA DTAC RESOURCES

The SAMHSA DTAC Bulletin is a monthly e-communication used to share updates in the field, 

post upcoming activities, and highlight new resources. To subscribe, please enter your email 

address in the “SAMHSA DTAC Bulletin” section of the home page of our website at https://

www.samhsa.gov/dtac.

The SAMHSA Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series contains resource collections 

and toolkits pertinent to disaster behavioral health. Installments focus on specific populations, 

specific types of disasters, and other topics related to all-hazards disaster behavioral health 

preparedness and response. Visit the SAMHSA DTAC website at 

https://www.samhsa.gov/dtac/dbhis-collections to access these materials.

CONTACT US

SAMHSA Disaster Technical 

Assistance Center

Toll-free: 1-800-308-3515 

dtac@samhsa.hhs.gov 

https://www.samhsa.gov/dtac