Mental Health Resources in Response to Hurricane Katrina

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General Mental Health Links and Resources
Information for Evacuees
Information for Teachers
Information for First Responders and Volunteers
Suicide Prevention Information
Stress and Substance Abuse
 
General Mental Health Links and Resources
SAMHSA National Mental Health Information Center
  The Long Term Impact of a Traumatic Event: What to Expect in Your Personal, Family, Work and Financial Life

Age-Specific Interventions at Home for Children in Trauma: From Pre-School to Adolescence

After Disaster: Tips for Teens

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  Katrina Disaster Response Information for Families and Caregivers — Articles in Engish and Spanish on children and trauma.

American Psychological Association
  Managing Traumatic Stress: After Hurricane Katrina

NYU Child Study Center: Changing the Face of Child Mental Health
  The Mental Health Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: How Can We Help Children get Back on Their Feet?

Helping Children Cope with the Effects of Hurricane Katrina: Tips for Parents and Other Caregivers

The Psychological Effects of Hurricane Katrina for Child and Adolescent Survivors

Television Viewing of the Katrina Disaster will have Psychological Effects on Children around the Country (pdf)

Talking to Kids about Natural Disasters

National Association of School Psychologists
  Coping with Crisis — Helping Children With Special Needs: Tips for School Personnel and Parents

National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  PTSD and Problems with Alcohol Use

When Terrible Things Happen — What you may experience, What helps, What doesn't help (pdf)

Connecting with Others: Giving Support (pdf)

Connecting with Others: Seeking Support (pdf)

Other NCPTSD Disaster Resources

American Psychiatric Association
  Suicide risk elevated after traumatic events, even in partial PTSD

National Child Traumatic Stress Network
  Parent Guidelines for Helping Children after a Hurricane (pdf)

National Institute of Mental Health
  Frequently Asked Questions About Suicide

American Association of Suicidology
  Understanding and Helping the Suicidal Individual (pdf)

Tenga Cuidado con las Advertencias (pdf)
 
Information for Evacuees
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  Tips for Survivors of a Traumatic Event: Managing Your Stress During a Disaster (pdf)

National Mental Health Association — Handouts for coping with tragedy after Hurricane Katrina
  Surviving Sudden Loss

Dealing With Stress

Helping Children Cope

Coping With Evacuation

Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists Trauma Tips
  Common Reactions to Trauma

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  Suicide Prevention and National Crisis Hotline Information (pdf)

National Association of School Psychologists
  Save a Friend: Tips for Teens to Prevent Suicide

Texas Department of State Health Services
  Hurricane Katrina Suicide Prevention and Intervention Information (Word)

Suicide: What Should I Know? for Teens (Word)

Suicide: What a Parent Should Know (Word)

Families and Friends of Persons With a Mental Illness & Substance Use Disorder (Word)
 
Information for Teachers
SAMHSA National Mental Health Information Center — Tips for Talking About Traumatic Events
  After a Disaster: A Guide for Parents and Teachers. Explains how preschool age, early childhood, and adolescent children may respond to terrorist events or natural disasters. The link is intended for parents and teachers to be informed, recognize problems, and respond appropriately to the needs of children.

Questions to Help Children Talk About a Disaster. Provides examples of "open-ended" questions to encourage children to talk about their feelings and experiences following a disaster.

When Talking Doesn't Help: Other Ways to Help Children Express Their Feelings Following a Disaster. Provides ideas for helping children express themselves in ways other than talking to help them through the recovery process following a disaster.

The Role of Culture in Helping Children Recover from a Disaster. Offers words of advice and guidance for teachers helping children from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds through the recovery process following a disaster.

Tips for Teachers in Time of Disaster: Taking Care of Yourselves and Each Other. Teachers directly deal with children's reactions to disaster. They may also be impacted by the disaster. It is extremely important to recognize for them to recognize that, like children, they are under particular stress and vulnerable to "burnout". This facts sheet provides helpful hints on how to stay mentally healthy.

Other SAMSA Publications on Mental Health & Disaster Issues

NYU Child Study Center: Changing the Face of Child Mental Health
  Children's Responses to Hurricane Katrina: Tips for Schools and Teachers

National Association of School Psychologists
  Coping with Crisis — Helping Children With Special Needs: Tips for School Personnel and Parents

Times of Tragedy: Preventing Suicide in Troubled Children and Youths, Part I and Part II

National Child Traumatic Stress Network
  Teacher Guidelines for Helping Students after a Hurricane (pdf)

National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
  Tips for Helping Preschool-Age Children After Disasters (pdf)

Tips for Helping School-Age Children After Disasters (pdf)

Tips for Helping Adolescents After Disasters (pdf)

Other NCPTSD Disaster Resources
 
Information for First Responders and Volunteers
National Mental Health Association — Handouts for coping with tragedy after Hurricane Katrina
  Coping Strategies for Staff and Volunteers

SAMHSA National Mental Health Information Center Tips for Talking About Traumatic Events
  Developing Cultural Competence in Disaster Mental Health Programs. Designed to supplement information already available through CMHS, SAMHSA, and other sources, Developing Cultural Competence in Disaster Mental Health Programs highlights important common issues relating to cultural competence and to disaster mental health. Disaster mental health providers and workers can use and adapt the guidelines set forth in this document to meet the unique characteristics of individuals and communities affected directly or indirectly by a full range of natural and human-made disasters.

Disaster Counseling. Disaster counseling involves both listening and guiding. Survivors typically benefit from both talking about their disaster experiences and being assisted with problem-solving and referral to resources. The following section provides "nuts-and-bolts" suggestions for workers.

Disaster Mental Health: Crisis Counseling Programs for the Rural Community. The Emergency Services and Disaster Relief Branch (ESDRB) of the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) works in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in overseeing national efforts to provide emergency mental health services to survivors of Presidentially declared disasters.

Field Manual for Mental Health and Human Service Workers in Major Disasters. For mental health workers and other human service providers who assist survivors following a disaster. This pocket reference provides the basics of disaster mental health, with numerous specific and practical suggestions for workers.

Self-Care Tips for Emergency & Disaster Response Workers
. Provides suggestions for those who are at the scene. It outlines facts, indicators of stress, and stress management strategies.

Stress Prevention and Management Approaches For Rescue Workers in the Aftermath of Terrorist Acts. This fact sheet provides information for rescue workers on recovering from working at the site of terrorist acts. It also provides a hotline for more information.

Training Manual for Mental Health and Human Service Workers in Major Disasters. This training manual explains how survivors respond to and recover from disasters and highlights the importance of tailoring disaster response to individual communities and populations. Intended for use by instructors, it describes effective interventions for responding to disasters and strategies for stress prevention and management among mental health and human service workers.

Other SAMSA Publications on Mental Health & Disaster Issues

National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
  Psychological First Aid Field Operations Guide (pdf)

Overview of Psychological First Aid Field Operations Guide (pdf)

Appendices for Psychological First Aid Field Operations Guide (pdf)

Provider Self Care (pdf)

Fact Sheets

     Mental-Health Intervention for Disasters

     Coping with PTSD and Recommended Lifestyle Changes for PTSD Patients

     Effects of Traumatic Stress in a Disaster Situation

     PTSD in Children and Adolescents
 
Suicide Prevention Information
General
       American Association of Suicidology
            Understanding and Helping the Suicidal Individual (pdf)

          Tenga Cuidado con las Advertencias (pdf)

     National Institute of Mental Health
            Frequently Asked Questions About Suicide

     American Psychiatric Association
            Suicide risk elevated after traumatic events, even in partial PTSD

Evacuees
     Texas Department of State Health Services
            Hurricane Katrina Suicide Prevention and Intervention Information (Word)

          Suicide: What Should I Know? for Teens (Word)

          Suicide: What a Parent Should Know (Word)

          Families and Friends of Persons With a Mental Illness & Substance Use Disorder (Word)

     National Association of School Psychologists
            Save a Friend: Tips for Teens to Prevent Suicide

     U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
            Tips for Survivors of a Traumatic Event: Managing Your Stress During a Disaster (pdf)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  Suicide Prevention and National Crisis Hotline Information (pdf)

Teachers
     National Association of School Psychologists
            Times of Tragedy: Preventing Suicide in Troubled Children and Youths, Part I and Part II

For More Information
  Suicide Prevention Resource Center — Provides prevention support, training, and information

  Jason Foundation — Provides information, tools, and resources about youth suicide to students, educators/youth workers, and parents.

  American Foundation for Suicide Prevention — Dedicated to preventing suicide through research and education.

  Suicide Prevention Action Network USA — Organization that works to prevent suicide through public education and awareness, community action and federal, state and local grassroots advocacy.
 
Stress and Substance Abuse
National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  PTSD and Problems with Alcohol Use

National Institute on Drug Abuse
  NIDA Community Drug Alert Bulletin - Stress & Substance Abuse
Last updated May 07, 2010