Stress prevention and management 

should be addressed in two critical 

contexts: the organization and the 

individual. Adopting a preventive 

perspective allows both workers and 

organizations to anticipate stressors 

and shape responses, rather than 

simply reacting to a crisis when it 

occurs. Suggestions for organizational 

and individual stress prevention 

and management approaches are 

presented below.

Organizational Approaches 

for Stress Prevention and 

Management

1. Provide effective management 

structure and leadership. Elements 

include:

Clear chain of command and 

reporting relationships. 

Available and accessible 

supervisors. 

Disaster orientation for all 

workers. 

Shifts of no longer than 12 

hours, followed by 12 hours off. 

Briefings at the beginning 

of shifts as workers enter the 

operation. Shifts should overlap 

so that outgoing workers brief 

incoming workers. 

Necessary supplies (e.g., paper, 

forms, pens, educational 

materials). 

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Communication tools (e.g., 

mobile phones, radios). 

2. Define a clear purpose and goals.

3. Define clear intervention goals 

and strategies appropriate to the 

assignment setting.

4. Define roles by function. 

5. Orient and train staff with 

written role descriptions for each 

assignment setting. When a setting 

is under the jurisdiction of another 

agency, inform workers of each 

agency’s role, contact people, and 

expectations.

6. Nurture team support.

7. Create a buddy system to support 

and monitor stress reactions. 

Promote a positive atmosphere 

of support and tolerance with 

frequent praise.

8. Develop a plan for stress 

management. For example: 

Assess workers’ functioning 

regularly. 

Rotate workers among low-, 

mid-, and high-stress tasks. 

Encourage breaks and time away 

from assignment. 

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Engaging in response efforts 

in the wake of a traumatic 

event is inevitably stressful 

for those involved in the 

emergency response. While the 

work is personally rewarding 

and challenging, it also has 

the potential for affecting 

responders in harmful ways. 

The long hours, breadth 

of needs and demands, 

ambiguous roles, and exposure 

to human suffering can 

adversely affect even the most 

experienced professional. Too 

often, the stress experienced by 

responders is addressed as an 

afterthought. With a little effort, 

however, steps can be taken to 

minimize the effects of stress.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Center for Mental Health Services

www.samhsa.gov

A Guide for Emergency Response 

and Public Safety Workers

Tips for Managing and Preventing Stress
Educate about signs and symptoms of worker stress and coping strategies. 

Provide individual and group defusing and debriefing. 

Develop an exit plan for workers leaving the operation, including a debriefing, reentry 

information, opportunity to critique, and formal recognition for service

Individual Approaches for Stress Prevention and Management

1. Manage workload.

Set priority levels for tasks with a realistic work plan. 

Delegate existing workloads so workers are not attempting disaster response in addition 

to their usual jobs. 

2. Balance lifestyle.

Get physical exercise, and stretch muscles when possible. 

Eat nutritiously, and avoid excessive junk food, caffeine, alcohol, or tobacco. 

Get adequate sleep and rest, especially on longer assignments. 

Maintain contact and connection with primary social supports. 

3. Apply stress reduction techniques.

Reduce physical tension by activities such as taking deep breaths, meditating, and 

walking mindfully. 

Use time off for exercise, reading, listening to music, taking a bath, talking to family, or 

getting a special meal. 

Talk about emotions and reactions with coworkers during appropriate times. 

4. Practice self-awareness.

Learn to recognize and heed early warning signs for stress reactions. 

Accept that you may need help to assess problematic stress reactions. 

Avoid overly identifying with survivors’ and victims’ grief and trauma, which may 

interfere with discussing painful material. 

Understand differences between professional helping relationships and friendships. 

Examine personal prejudices and cultural stereotypes. 

Be mindful that vicarious traumatization or compassion fatigue may develop. 

Recognize when a personal disaster experience or loss interferes with effectiveness. 

Normal Reactions to a Traumatic Event

No one who responds to a mass casualty event is untouched by it. 

Profound sadness, grief, and anger are normal reactions to an abnormal event. 

You may not want to leave the scene until the work is finished. 

You likely will try to override stress and fatigue with dedication and commitment. 

You may deny the need for rest and recovery time. 

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Helpful Resources 

National Mental Health Information Center

Toll-Free: 1-800-789-2647 (English and Español) 

TDD: 1-866-889-2647

Web Site: www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information

Toll-Free: 1-800-729-6686 (English and Español) 

TDD: 1-800-487-4889

Web Site: www.ncadi.samhsa.gov

Treatment Locators

Mental Health Services Locator

Toll-Free: 1-800-789-2647 (English and Español)

TDD: 1-866-889-2647

Web Site: www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/databases

Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator

Toll-Free: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) 

(24/7 English and Español)

TDD: 1-800-487-4889

Web Site: www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov

Hotlines

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Toll-Free: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

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

Web Site: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Office for Victims of Crime

Toll-Free: 1-800-851-3420

TTY: 1-877-712-9279

Web Site: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/ovcres/welcome.html

Other Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Phone: 404-639-3311

Toll-Free: 1-800-311-3435

Web Site: www.cdc.gov/niosh/unp-trinstrs.html

Department of Veterans Affairs

National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Phone: 802-296-6300

Web Site: www.ncptsd.va.gov 

Note: Inclusion of a resource in this fact sheet does not 

imply endorsement by the Center for Mental Health 

Services, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration, or the U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services. 

KEN–01–0098

Revised 4/07

Signs That You May Need Stress 

Management Assistance

Disorientation or confusion, and difficulty 

communicating thoughts. 

Difficulty remembering instructions. Difficulty 

maintaining balance. 

Becoming easily frustrated and being 

uncharacteristically argumentative. 

Inability to engage in problem solving and difficulty 

making decisions. 

Unnecessary risk taking. 

Tremors, headaches, and nausea. 

Tunnel vision and muffled hearing. 

Colds or flu-like symptoms. 

Limited attention span and difficulty concentrating. 

Loss of objectivity. 

Inability to relax when off duty. 

Refusal to follow orders or to leave the scene. 

Increased use of drugs or alcohol. 

Unusual clumsiness. 

Ways to Help Manage Your Stress

Limit on-duty work hours to no more than 12 

hours per day. 

Rotate work from high-stress to lower stress 

functions. 

Rotate work from the scene to routine assignments, 

as practicable. 

Use counseling assistance programs available 

through your agency. 

Drink plenty of water, and eat healthy snacks such 

as fresh fruit, whole grain breads, and other energy 

foods. 

Take frequent, brief breaks from the scene, as 

practicable. 

Talk about your emotions to process what you have 

seen and done. 

Stay in touch with your family and friends. 

Participate in memorials and rituals, and use of 

symbols as a way to express feelings. 

Pair up with another responder so that you may 

monitor one another’s stress.

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