A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

2014 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 3

IN THIS ISSUE 

 2 Post-Disaster Decline: Understanding 

Children’s Vulnerability Before, During, 

and After Katrina 

 5 Meeting the Mental Health Needs 

of Older Adults in Disasters

 7 All Hands on Deck for People Living With 

HIV and AIDS After Hurricane Sandy 

 9 Recommended Resources

10 Upcoming Events

Disaster Recovery Center in Texas. Photo: Greg Henshall /FEMA
IN THIS ISSUE 

 2 Post-Disaster Decline: Understanding 

Children’s Vulnerability Before, During, 

and After Katrina 

 5 Meeting the Mental Health Needs 

of Older Adults in Disasters

 7 All Hands on Deck for People Living With 

HIV and AIDS After Hurricane Sandy 

 9 Recommended Resources

10 Upcoming Events

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 effective behavioral health (mental health and substance abuse) 

responses to disasters. To receive The Dialogue, please go to SAMHSA’s homepage 

(http://www.samhsa.gov), enter your e-mail address in the “Mailing List” box on the right, 

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 abuse needs 

following a disaster.

To learn more, please call 1-800-308-3515, e-mail DTAC@samhsa.hhs.gov, or visit the 

SAMHSA DTAC website at http://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.
2014 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 1

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

In This Issue

In this issue of The Dialogue, we highlight the 

importance of cultural awareness in disaster 

response. Our first article presents summary 

research from a longitudinal study looking at the 

long-term effects of Hurricane Katrina on more 

than 650 children and 100 adults who lived in 

New Orleans prior to the storm. The author of the 

next article explains how older Americans can be 

an asset to disaster planning and response, and 

highlights the special assistance that some of them 

may need during all phases of a disaster. In our 

final article, the author shares how Hurricane Sandy 

affected people living with HIV/AIDS and how the 

community-based organization Gay Men’s Health 

Crisis continued operating despite the challenges 

brought about by the storm. We hope that the 

information shared by these well-informed authors 

helps you in your own planning, response, and 

recovery efforts.

Warmest regards,

Nikki Bellamy, Ph.D. 

Public Health Advisor, Emergency Mental Health 

and Traumatic Stress Services Branch

Nikki.bellamy@samhsa.hhs.gov

CDR Erik Hierholzer, B.S.N.

Program Management Officer, Emergency Mental 

Health and Traumatic Stress Services Branch

Erik.hierholzer@samhsa.hhs.gov

April Naturale, Ph.D. 

SAMHSA DTAC Project Director

North Bay (Louisiana) Elementary School students return to school after Hurricane Katrina. Photo: Mark Wolfe/FEMA
2014 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 2

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

SPECIAL FEATURE

Post-Disaster Decline: Understanding Children’s 

Vulnerability Before, During, and After Katrina1

Contributed by Lori Peek, Ph.D., Department of Sociology, Colorado State University, 

and Alice Fothergill, Ph.D., Department of Sociology, University of Vermont

We spent 7 years after Hurricane 

Katrina studying more than 650 

children and youth as well as 

approximately 100 adults, including 

family members, neighbors, disaster 

relief workers, and teachers, 

among others. The children and 

youth whom we observed and 

interviewed lived in New Orleans 

and surrounding areas and were 

between 3 and 18 years old at the 

time of the storm. It was our goal 

to understand their experiences, 

identify how others assisted in 

their recovery, and document how 

they helped themselves and other 

children after Katrina. 

We identified three distinct postdisaster patterns among the 

children whom we studied over 

time. These patterns, which are 

presented in our forthcoming book, 

Children of Katrina, included 

the following: (1) Declining 

Trajectory, where children and 

youth experienced simultaneous 

and ongoing disruptions in their 

families, schooling, housing, health 

and health care, friendships, and 

Hurricane Katrina survivors search through donated items. Photo: Ed Edahl/FEMA

other key areas of their lives, (2) 

Finding Equilibrium Trajectory, 

where after an initial period of 

disruption and minor decline, 

children were able to attain and 

maintain stability with mobilization 

of resources and social support, 

and (3) Fluctuating Trajectory, 

where children had a mixed pattern 

of post-Katrina stable moments 

followed by unstable periods in one 

or more key areas of their lives. Of 

the three post-disaster trajectories 

that we identified, the Declining 

Trajectory represents the children 

who were most susceptible to an 

array of negative outcomes. In this 

brief article, we present the factors 

external to the child that played the 

most substantial roles in shaping 

this pattern. 

continued on page 3

1

 Portions of this article are excerpted from Fothergill, A., and Peek, L. (2015). Children of Katrina. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.
2014 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 3

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

continued from page 2

What explains the Declining 

Trajectory? First and foremost, 

social location—such as social 

class, race, family structure, 

neighborhood location, resources, 

and networks—prior to the 

disaster determined, at least 

in part, many of the children’s 

post-disaster outcomes. While 

this may not sound surprising, it 

is worth underscoring how and 

why a child’s social location 

makes so much difference, 

especially because disasters are 

often depicted as events that 

affect everyone indiscriminately, 

regardless of social status. 

Contrary to this popular belief, 

we identified myriad ways 

that a child’s social location 

shaped his or her pre- and postKatrina experiences, ultimately 

influencing, directly and 

indirectly, various emotional and 

psychological outcomes. 

Prior to Hurricane Katrina, for 

example, 38 percent of the child 

residents of New Orleans were 

living in poverty. These children’s 

lives were characterized by severe 

difficulties prior to the storm: their 

households had serious financial 

troubles, often involving at least 

one parent who was unemployed 

and unable to find a good job; their 

housing situations were insecure 

and their neighborhoods unsafe; 

and their families had unreliable 

or no access to health care or 

nutritious food. In addition, 

between one-quarter and onethird of New Orleans households 

had no access to a car before 

Katrina, and these households 

were disproportionately poor and 

black. When compared to their 

middle-class counterparts, children 

from low-income families were 

much more likely to be exposed to 

dire and life-threatening situations 

when the levees broke and New 

Orleans flooded. Furthermore, 

poorer children were more likely 

to be evacuated to mass shelters, 

which can be overwhelming 

and frightening, while children 

with more resources stayed with 

their families in hotels or with 

extended family or friends outside 

the Gulf Coast. The level of 

exposure to the disaster and the 

memories of what they witnessed 

were correlated with subsequent 

struggles among these children, 

such as challenges concentrating in 

school, higher anxiety levels, and 

more behavioral problems. 

Before Katrina, more than half of 

New Orleans families with children 

under the age of 18 were headed 

by single mothers, many of whom 

were already struggling to find 

resources for their children. Many 

of these low-income single mothers 

were African American and relied 

on kin networks (Galea, Tracy, 

Norris, & Coffey, 2008). After 

the disaster, these mothers were 

among those who had little control 

over where they ended up, and 

many were displaced without their continued on page 4

networks, leaving them without 

much-needed economic and social 

support (Jones-DeWeever, 2008). 

After Katrina, children from lowincome and working-class families 

were the ones most likely to be 

displaced furthest from home and 

subsequently to endure multiple 

displacements over time. We 

interviewed children who attended 

three or four new schools in the 

first year after the storm, and these 

repetitive displacements continued 

as the months and years passed. 

With each new move came more 

disruption. And although some 

of the children received a warm 

reception at their new schools, 

many encountered bullying and 

discrimination as a result of their 

race, class, city of origin, and/or 

status as a Katrina survivor. 

Our work demonstrates how preexisting disadvantage—the crisis 

before the crisis—and the profound 

disruption caused by a disaster like 

Katrina can send already vulnerable 

children on a downward spiral. 
2014 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 4

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

continued from page 3

But these were not the only children 

who were at risk for decline 

after Katrina. We also observed 

children and youth who were in 

more stable situations before the 

hurricane whose post-disaster lives 

were marked by rapid increases 

in instability and cumulative 

vulnerability. This group, while 

smaller in number than the previous 

group, is also noteworthy. These 

children experienced a similar 

accumulation of risk factors 

and lost many of the protective 

support systems that provided a 

cushion before the storm. Their 

emotional and physical health and 

educational attainment suffered as 

a consequence. For these children, 

the decline was a shock, as their 

lives had been characterized 

(mostly) by stability prior to the 

storm. Many of them were doing 

well in school and had post-high 

school educational plans. Their 

parents had steady employment 

and access to working vehicles, 

and their families did not struggle 

with food insecurity. The parents 

were achieving a small measure of 

upward mobility, and they hoped 

to give their children opportunities 

they did not have. Yet, for these 

families, their pre-disaster lives 

were much more fragile than they 

realized, and indeed, they were 

one disaster away from serious 

instability and decline. For many, 

they could not regain their footing 

after they lost housing or jobs due 

to Katrina. 

For both groups of children—those 

more vulnerable before and those 

with more stability—the level of 

exposure to the disaster as well as 

how their recovery unfolded also 

made a tremendous difference. 

When children experienced lifethreatening evacuations; when they 

were displaced multiple times to 

faraway places; when they were 

forced into unfamiliar and hostile 

new school and peer environments; 

and when their caregivers, siblings, 

or other family members began to 

struggle emotionally, economically, 

or otherwise after the storm, so too 

did the children. Moreover, the 

children whose lives were most 

disrupted and whose social support 

systems and family networks were 

shattered were left with few tools 

or resources to pick up the pieces. 

During the recovery period, many 

of these children and their families 

had trouble returning to New 

Orleans, as affordable rental units 

were scarce, several large housing 

projects had been torn down, and 

the few who had been homeowners 

prior to Katrina did not have the 

resources for repairs.

The lives of these children, and 

the many others whom we studied 

who fit the Declining Trajectory, 

shed light on the situational and 

social structural conditions that 

make children and youth vulnerable 

before a disaster strikes. Indeed, 

there are tens of thousands of 

children on the Gulf Coast who 

endured similar experiences to the 

children whom we feature in our 

book. It is important to note that 

we found that the children and 

youth of the Declining Trajectory 

were often strong, hardworking, 

resilient, and proactive. Many 

used creative problem-solving 

skills to cope and find solutions 

for themselves and their families. 

Moreover, the vast majority of 

the parents loved and cared for 

their children tremendously, and 

certainly no less than parents of the 

other trajectories. Thus, we found 

that structural disadvantages—not 

individual or personal factors—

were what mattered most in 

determining a child’s downward 

trajectory. In the United States, 

middle-, working-, and lowerclass and poor children lead very 

different lives from each other. 

And, indeed, after a disaster, 

unequal circumstances may become 

amplified and more life-altering 

and, in many ways, more cruel. ■

References

Galea, S., Tracy, M., Norris, F., & 

Coffey, S.F. (2008). Financial and social 

circumstances and the incidence and 

course of PTSD in Mississippi during the 

first two years after Hurricane Katrina. 

Journal of Traumatic Stress, 21(14), 

357-368. 

Jones-DeWeever, A. (2008). Women in 

the wake of the storm: Examining the 

post-Katrina realities of the women 

of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. 

Washington, DC: Institute for Women’s 

Policy Research.
2014 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 5

An American Red Cross volunteer talks with an older hurricane survivor. Photo: Andrea Booher/FEMA

Meeting the Mental Health Needs of 

Older Adults in Disasters 

Contributed by Lisa Furst, LMSW, M.P.H., Director of Education for the Geriatric Mental Health Alliance of 

New York and Director of Public Education for the Mental Health Association of New York City

Older adults are a diverse group 

of people who possess a range of 

strengths and skills, vulnerabilities, 

and challenges. They are not, 

simply by virtue of age, necessarily 

more psychologically vulnerable 

during and after disasters than 

are younger people. In fact, 

many older people have survived 

significant challenges throughout 

their lives and have developed 

resilience and an array of coping 

strategies that help them deal 

successfully with distressing 

situations. As we work with older 

adults who have experienced 

disasters, we should expect 

to see and manage the same 

predictable emotional distress 

that we would expect to see in 

younger populations, including 

fear, confusion, despair, and anger. 

Meeting concrete needs, providing 

necessary medical care, and reestablishing safe housing and life 

routines can help to alleviate some 

of these common distress responses 

and can help forestall more serious 

emotional reactions in the future. 

While it is certainly possible that 

a disaster could trigger the onset 

of a diagnosable mental disorder 

in some older individuals, it is 

more likely that the symptoms 

of serious mental illness will be 

experienced by older adults who 

already have histories of mental 

disorders, such as long-term 

psychiatric disabilities, dementia, 

major depressive disorder, and 

anxiety disorders. A past history 

of trauma or posttraumatic stress 

disorder (PTSD) will also increase 

the likelihood of older adults 

experiencing clinically significant 

symptoms, as will a history of past 

or current substance abuse.

While mental health services 

and supports are typically 

provided in settings such as crisis 

centers, emergency shelters, and 

other programs set up to meet 

immediate needs in the initial 

aftermath of a disaster, most older 

adults are unlikely to immediately 

seek out tailored mental health 

services or supports. 

continued on page 6
2014 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 6

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

continued from page 5

It is usually only after concrete 

needs are met and routines are reestablished that older adults may 

begin to attend to their emotional 

reactions. While some older adults 

will seek help from established 

mental health providers, others 

may not feel comfortable seeking 

help from providers in traditional 

clinical settings. For this reason, 

it is useful to be able to provide 

mental health supports in settings 

where older adults are likely to 

congregate, including community 

centers, senior centers, naturally 

occurring retirement communities, 

senior case management services, 

houses of worship, and other elderserving programs.

Older adults will benefit from 

a variety of mental health 

interventions following a disaster, 

including: (1) Psychological First 

Aid to address immediate concerns 

and needs, (2) psycho-education 

about expected emotional distress 

reactions and when to seek help 

for more significant distress, 

(3) information and referral 

services for mental health services 

when indicated, and (4) clinical 

interventions for symptoms 

of depression, anxiety, PTSD, 

substance abuse, or other troubling 

symptoms. Research indicates that 

older adults benefit as substantially 

from evidence-based psychosocial 

and pharmacological treatments as 

younger people do, particularly if 

these treatments are provided by 

geriatric mental health specialists.

Older adults are especially diverse 

when it comes to ability and 

functional status. Some may not 

have any disability at all, some 

may be living in the community 

with disabilities and some loss of 

function, and some may be living 

with disabilities that require care 

in congregate settings, such as 

rehabilitation centers or nursing 

homes. While disaster planning 

is vital for all communities and 

organizations, it is especially 

important for congregate care 

settings to have active disaster plans 

in place and to establish linkages 

with providers who can administer 

Psychological First Aid and clinical 

services as needed. The often 

co-morbid physical illnesses and 

functional disabilities that require 

care in congregate settings increase 

older adults’ risk for depression 

and anxiety; experiencing a disaster 

is likely to compound that risk 

significantly. Access to mental 

health services is critical for these 

older adults, although we should not 

automatically assume a pathological 

response to disaster, even among 

seniors with disabilities.

It is important to note that 

older adults can also serve as a 

resource to help meet the mental 

health needs of their peers after 

a disaster. For example, older 

adults can play a leading role 

in providing social support and 

DISASTER RESPONSE 

TEMPLATE TOOLKIT

The Disaster Response Template 

Toolkit from the SAMHSA 

DTAC Disaster Behavioral 

Health Information Series 

features public education 

materials that disaster behavioral 

health response programs can 

use to create resources for 

reaching people affected by a 

disaster. The Toolkit includes 

print, website, audio, video, 

and multimedia materials that 

programs can use to provide 

outreach, psycho-education, 

and recovery news for disaster 

survivors. Many of the links 

contain sample materials and 

online tools that have been used 

in previous disaster situations 

across the country. The 

templates can also be adapted 

for future use as desired.

http://archive.samhsa.gov/dtac/

dbhis/dbhis_templates_intro.asp 

mutual aid and can even be 

trained to offer Psychological 

First Aid in the community, 

particularly in the settings where 

older adults typically gather 

and receive services. In this 

way, older adults can be active 

participants in their communities’ 

recovery as well as a supportive 

supplement to traditional geriatric 

mental health services, which are 

in short supply. ■
2014 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 7

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

All Hands on Deck for People Living With HIV and 

AIDS After Hurricane Sandy Contributed by Janet Weinberg, Chief Operating Officer, Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC)1

It happens almost every four 

weeks: A surge of clients comes to 

Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) 

in pursuit of meals and bags of 

groceries. For people living with 

HIV and AIDS whose main source 

of income is their Social Security 

disability checks, money often runs 

out near the end of the month. At 

that point they are not able to buy 

food, and they come in for help.

Many have to survive the “inbetween days” until their next 

Social Security check arrives. I 

expected the end of October to be 

no different, but then Hurricane 

Sandy arrived in its cataclysmic 

fury. As a tragic result, many 

people in NYC living with or 

affected by HIV and AIDS were 

hit hard. Our clients are among 

the poorest and most vulnerable 

New Yorkers, and the outcome of 

the hurricane continues to have a 

disproportionate impact on them. 

These men, women and families 

continue to be without housing, 

food, electricity, clothing and 

HIV medications and need basic 

humanitarian support and someone 

with whom they can talk. In fact, 

on Monday, Oct. 29, despite the 

severe storm warnings and the rain, 

several clients braved the weather 

to walk from as far away as the 

Bronx and Brooklyn to our offices 

on West 33rd Street for a hot meal. 

This was their only meal of the 

day, and for some the only meal 

until GMHC was able to reopen 

the following Wednesday. Well 

over 400 meals were served in 

the heart of the crisis, even when 

subways had not resumed service, 

with clients walking long distances 

to receive food and support.

continued on page 8

1

 Originally published November 13, 2012; republished with permission from GMHC.
2014 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 8

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

continued from page 7

HIV-positive clients haven’t been 

the only ones in crisis. One highrisk, HIV-negative client needed 

to see three staff persons—our 

psychologist, our attorney and 

our benefits advocate—because 

the crises he was experiencing 

seemed insurmountable. The rest 

of that week hundreds more came 

through our doors needing urgent 

care. Our Meals Program’s food 

supplies, including items such as 

bread and salad ingredients, began 

to dip because trucks had stopped 

delivering. Though our chef, 

Wilson Rodriguez, is very creative, 

worrisome feelings started to set 

in about what could happen during 

the week of Nov. 5 if deliveries 

did not resume. When a person 

living with HIV or AIDS does not 

have food to eat, there are serious 

consequences, particularly if their 

HIV medications have to be taken 

with food. Therefore, adhering to 

treatment becomes jeopardized, 

and anxiety about food takes root. 

Each day we were reminded how 

critical it is that we are here for our 

clients, providing meals and bags 

of groceries, linkages to housing 

and crisis counseling.

Even with the emotional 

intensity of the week, there were 

heartwarming, inspiring moments. 

I was deeply moved when board 

members, volunteers and staff 

members found ways to travel to 

our offices, pitched in to cook and 

serve meals and distributed bags 

of groceries from our Keith Haring 

Food Pantry Program. This was 

a significant, “all-hands-on-deck” 

situation. Several clients told us 

how appreciative they were that 

we remained open. “If you weren’t 

open today, I would have eaten 

nothing but peanut butter,” shared 

one gentleman.

Close to the end of that week, our 

Meals Program finally received 

a food delivery. At the same 

time we were even able to host 

a wedding ceremony at GMHC! 

Two of the agency’s friends 

were married in my office. Their 

wedding faced cancellation due to 

the hurricane. I took photos, and 

my spouse, the Hon. Rosalyn H. 

Richter, an associate justice of the 

appellate division of the New York 

State Supreme Court, officiated. 

It was a touching event. GMHC 

provided yet another safe space in 

the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy 

to this couple.

During the second week after the 

hurricane, we made a decision 

to cancel our annual fundraiser, 

Fashion Forward, in order to 

continue focusing on our core 

mission: providing direct support 

to people living with and affected 

by HIV and AIDS. A new relief 

fund, Hurricane Relief Forward, 

was launched to continue our 

disaster relief work, as our efforts 

increase daily with the growing 

demand for immediate services.

It is clear that the recovery from 

the hurricane has only begun, and 

it will be a long journey to heal 

and rebuild. Yet what is even 

clearer is the importance of all of 

us pulling together to be of service 

to each other. Our hands and our 

hearts are on deck. ■
2014 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 9

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Cultural Awareness: 

Children and Youth in Disasters

Information provided in this 60-minute podcast can help disaster behavioral 

health responders provide culturally aware and appropriate services for 

children, youth, and families affected by natural and human-caused disasters. 

This podcast can be found at 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsaImMbgkh8&index=12&list=PLBXg

ZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6. ■

This podcast can help parents, caregivers, teachers, and other school staff 

identify common reactions of children and youth to disaster and trauma, and 

discover helpful approaches to support immediate and long-term recovery. 

This podcast can be found at 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4GftUhGAtc&index=15&list=PLB

XgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6. ■

Helping Youth Cope With Disaster

This podcast informs disaster behavioral health professionals about the 

concepts and signs of retraumatization and associated risk and protective 

factors, and highlights promising treatment strategies and tips for 

avoiding retraumatization. 

This podcast can be found at 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O7w6pu4BdI&list=PLBXgZ

MI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6. ■

Post-Disaster Retraumatization: 

Risk and Protective Factors

SAMHSA recently released a behavioral health disaster app that can help 

responders provide quality support to survivors. Users can share resources 

and learn about pre-deployment preparation, on-the-ground assistance, and 

post-deployment resources, all from one button on the home screen. 

The SAMHSA Disaster App can be found at 

http://www.store.samhsa.gov/apps/disaster/. ■

The SAMHSA Disaster Behavioral Health App
2014 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 10

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

Upcoming Events

CONFERENCES

International Critical Incident Stress Foundation 

Regional Conference

July 17–20, 2014; San Antonio, Texas

This regional conference will enable disaster behavioral 

health professionals to attend up to three courses and 

earn continuing education units. Course options include 

group crisis intervention, individual crisis intervention and 

peer support, emotional and spiritual care in disasters, and 

working with victims of individual and mass crimes. 

Great Plains Disaster Behavioral Health Conference

July 25, 2014; Omaha, Nebraska

Attendees at this conference will participate in workshops 

and discussions on creating a disaster plan, learning selfcare techniques for responders, understanding lessons 

learned for crisis communications, and reviewing ethical 

considerations and challenges in providing disaster 

behavioral health services. This conference is cosponsored 

by the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center and 

PsychContinuingEd.com.

SAMHSA DTAC WEBINARS 

AND PODCASTS

 Great news! All SAMHSA DTAC webinars and 

podcasts can now be found on SAMHSA’s YouTube 

page (http://www.youtube.com/user/SAMHSA) and 

the SAMHSA DTAC playlist (http://www.youtube.com/

playlist?list=PLBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6). 

Below, we provide summaries of and links to all SAMHSA 

DTAC webinars and podcasts. 

Introduction to Disaster Behavioral Health

The goal of this webinar is to educate participants about the 

mental health, substance abuse, and stress management 

needs of people who have been exposed to human-caused, 

natural, or technological disasters. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwqIHAmO19U&list=

PLBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6

Applying Cultural Awareness to Disaster 

Behavioral Health

Participants in this webinar will learn more about tools that 

they can use to assess and strengthen cultural awareness 

practices in disaster behavioral health services.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngozeGfBOW8&list=

PLBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6&index=2

Cultural Awareness: Children and Youth in Disasters 

Information provided in this 60-minute podcast can help 

disaster behavioral health responders provide culturally 

aware and appropriate disaster behavioral health services 

for children, youth, and families affected by natural and 

human-caused disasters. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsaImMbgkh8&list=P

LBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6&index=12 

Deployment Supports for Disaster Behavioral 

Health Responders 

Disaster behavioral health responders and their family 

members can use the guidelines in this podcast to help 

prepare for the stress of deployment and reintegration into 

regular work and family life. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apQuQm5pQOk&list

=PLBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6&index=4

continued on page 11
2014 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 11

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

WEBINARS AND PODCASTS continued from page 10

Helping Children and Youth Cope in the Aftermath 

of Disasters: Tips for Parents and Other Caregivers, 

Teachers, Administrators, and School Staff

This podcast was designed to inform parents and other 

caregivers, teachers and other school staff, and behavioral 

health professionals about the kinds of responses to expect 

in children and youth in the aftermath of disasters, such as 

school shootings, and to help determine when a child or youth 

exposed to a disaster may need mental health services. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4GftUhGAtc&list=P

LBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6&index=15

Disaster Planning: Integrating Your Disaster 

Behavioral Health Plan

The speakers explain how states, territories, and tribes can 

update and integrate their disaster behavioral health plans 

with their overarching disaster response plans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ipg0_5IOgOg&list=P

LBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6

Self-Care for Disaster Behavioral Health Responders

Disaster behavioral health responders can learn about 

best practices and tools that could enable them and their 

supervisors to identify and effectively manage stress and 

secondary traumatic stress in this 60-minute podcast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G957P6w1Xfs&list=P

LBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6&index=13

Mass Casualty: Support and Response 

This webinar shares information about emotional reactions 

to mass casualty events, addresses what Medical Reserve 

Corps team members, Commissioned Corps officers, and 

other responders may encounter in the field during a crisis 

event, and familiarizes participants with related disaster 

behavioral health resources available through SAMHSA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDUqKO8XdLM&list

=PLBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6

Introduction to Promising Practices in Disaster 

Behavioral Health Planning 

Participants of this webcast will learn about promising 

practices in disaster behavioral health planning, and 

speakers will share successful examples that have been 

implemented in the field.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_

tpsxPB0UoA&list=PLBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQpQslk-R6

Promising Practices in Disaster Behavioral Health 

Planning: Building Effective Partnerships

Participants in this webcast will learn about building 

effective working relationships with federal, state, and local 

government, as well as nongovernment partners, when 

developing a comprehensive disaster behavioral health plan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e95C4yMybP4&list=P

LBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6

Promising Practices in Disaster Behavioral Health 

Planning: Financials and Administration Operations

The speakers in this webinar identify policies, procedures, 

and promising practices in financial and administrative 

operations in disaster behavioral health before, during, and 

after a disaster.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkNGb-_

Hlo0&list=PLBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6

Promising Practices in Disaster Behavioral Health 

Planning (DBHP): Implementing Your DBHP

The speakers explain how states, territories, and tribes can 

update and integrate their disaster behavioral health plans 

with their overarching disaster response plans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgXnfGP3LGc&list=

PLBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6

continued on page 12
2014 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 12

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

WEBINARS AND PODCASTS continued from page 11

Promising Practices in Disaster Behavioral Health 

Planning: Plan Scalability

In this webinar, speakers provide information and examples 

about the elements of a scalable disaster behavioral 

health plan and identify promising practices in process 

development, standard operating procedures, and 

instructions that should be in place before a disaster. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osqghXH7Bbo&list=

PLBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6

Promising Practices in Disaster Behavioral Health 

Planning: Assessing Services and Information

Participants will learn about promising practices in assessing 

services, resources (e.g., equipment and personnel), and 

information before, during, and after a disaster.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaqQjgLtinM&list=PL

BXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6

Promising Practices in Disaster Behavioral Health 

Planning: Logistical Support

This webinar features a presentation on effective logistical 

support systems, including identification of training 

mechanisms for response personnel and utilization of 

volunteers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJpUlxoA4s8&list=P

LBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6

Promising Practices in Disaster Behavioral Health 

Planning: Legal and Regulatory Authority

Participants will learn about the elements of legal and 

regulatory authority at the federal, state, and local levels, 

including issues of responders’ liabilities, informed 

consent, confidentiality, development of memoranda of 

understanding, and/or mutual aid agreements.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRL3Fbo9kHI&list=P

LBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6

ADDITIONAL WEBINARS AND 

PODCASTS

State of All Hazards Preparedness for Children: 

Partnerships & Models for Merging Emergency 

Department & Disaster Preparedness Efforts 

Nationwide 

This webcast by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau 

within the Health Resources and Services Administration 

features resources and tools for pediatric disaster planning, 

lessons learned from the H1N1 pandemic, and perspectives 

from national stakeholders and partners in planning. 

http://learning.mchb.hrsa.gov/archivedWebcastDetail.

asp?id=222

TRAININGS

Early Responders Distance Learning Center 

The Early Responders Distance Learning Center of Saint 

Joseph’s University creates and administers accredited 

courses for the emergency response community on preparing 

for and responding to terrorist incidents. The courses offer a 

specialized focus on psychological perspectives and issues. 

http://erdlc.sju.edu

FEMA Online Courses 

FEMA offers free independent study courses that can be 

completed for continuing education units. Courses cover 

topics such as emergency preparedness, development 

and management of volunteers, and the Incident 

Command System. 

http://training.fema.gov/IS

continued on page 13
2014 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 13

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

TRAININGS continued from page 12

Johns Hopkins Public Health Preparedness 

Programs: Mental Health Preparedness Trainings 

The Johns Hopkins Preparedness and Emergency Response 

Learning Center has developed a variety of mental health 

preparedness trainings that are available online:

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Disaster Mental Health Intervention

Disaster Mental Health Planning

Introduction to Mental Health and Disaster Preparedness

Mental Health Consequences of Disaster

Psychological First Aid Competencies for Public Health 

Workers

Psychology and Crisis Response

Psychology of Terrorism

Roots of Terrorism

Self-Care

http://www.jhsph.edu/preparedness/training/online/

mentalhealth_trainings

Massachusetts Environmental Health Association 

Disaster Behavioral Health Training 

The Massachusetts Environmental Health Association has 

developed several disaster behavioral health trainings that 

are available online:

• 

• 

• 

• 

Disaster Behavioral Health

Psychological First Aid: Helping People Cope During 

Disasters and Public Health Emergencies

Psychological First Aid in Radiation Disasters

Psychological Issues Following Disasters

http://www.mehaonline.net/member-services/trainingresources-videos/56-disaster-behavioral-health-training

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network 

(NCTSN) Psychological First Aid Online Course 

The NCTSN Learning Center is an online training center 

geared toward professionals and families seeking to 

learn more about child traumatic stress. Many resources 

specifically focus on disaster-related trauma and grief. The 

NCTSN Learning Center also features Psychological First 

Aid (PFA) Online, a 6-hour course in which the student 

plays the role of a provider working in a scene after a 

disaster. According to the online course description, “this 

professionally narrated course is for individuals who are 

new to disaster response and want to learn the core goals 

of PFA, as well as for seasoned practitioners who want a 

review. The course features innovative activities, video 

demonstrations, and mentor tips from the nation’s trauma 

experts and survivors. PFA Online also offers a learning 

community where participants can share experiences of 

using PFA in the field, receive guidance during times of 

disaster, and obtain additional resources and training.”

http://learn.nctsn.org

Office of Minority Health Cultural Competency 

Curriculum for Disaster Preparedness and 

Crisis Response

These four online courses build knowledge and skills for 

disaster and crisis personnel and volunteers to “provide 

culturally and linguistically appropriate services to diverse 

communities during all phases of disaster.” The curriculum 

is grouped into three themes: culturally competent care, 

language access services, and organizational supports.

https://cccdpcr.thinkculturalhealth.hhs.gov

University of North Carolina (UNC) Center for 

Public Health Preparedness Training Website 

This site “offers free short Internet-based trainings 

developed by the UNC Center for Public Health 

Preparedness on public health preparedness topics 

such as disease surveillance, basic epidemiology, 

bioterrorism, and new/emerging disease agents.”

http://cphp.sph.unc.edu/training/index.php
CONTACT US

SAMHSA Disaster Technical 

Assistance Center

Toll-Free: 1-800-308-3515

DTAC@samhsa.hhs.gov

http://www.samhsa.gov/dtac/

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 homepage (http://www.samhsa.gov), 

enter your e-mail address in the “Mailing List” box on the right, 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 e-mail address in the “SAMHSA DTAC Bulletin” section of our website at 

http://www.samhsa.gov/dtac/resources.asp.

The SAMHSA DTAC Discussion Board is an online discussion forum for disaster 

behavioral health stakeholders. Become a member of this community by visiting 

http://dtac-discussion.samhsa.gov/register.aspx and completing the brief 

registration process. Within 2 business days, you will receive your login and 

password via e-mail, along with further instructions on how to access the site. 

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 http://www.samhsa.gov/dtac/dbhis to access these materials.