Disaster Response Resources

The Disaster Response Committee of the Iowa Psychological Association has compiled a list of resources from various organizations. Please note, none of the information included represents original content created by the Iowa Psychological Association. 

Table of Contents:

1. General Disaster Resources
2. General Resources for Providers
3. Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Floods, and Fires
4. Mass Shootings
5. Acts of Terrorism
6. COVID-19 and the Ongoing Pandemic
7. War In Ukraine and Other International Displaced Children and Families
8. Disaster Mental Health Training Opportunities
9. Disaster Mental Health Volunteer Opportunities

General Disaster Resources

Hotlines

• Disaster Distress Helpline (SAMHSA): 
• The Disaster Distress Helpline, 1-800-985-5990, is a 24/7, 365-day-a-year, national hotline dedicated to providing immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster.
• Red Cross Virtual Assistance Center: 
• You can connect with the Red Cross immediately by calling 1-833-492-0094
• There is a "request a call" button on this website where anyone can request a call from Red Cross volunteers trained in behavioral health, spiritual care, and health services.
• Crisis Hotlines and Resources (American Psychological Association)

Articles

• Recovering emotionally from a disaster (American Psychological Association)
• In the Aftermath of Disaster (American Red Cross)
• Coping with Shelter-in-Place Emergencies (American Red Cross)
• Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
• Assisting Parents/Caregivers in Coping with Collective Traumas (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network)

General Resources for Providers

Psychological First Aid

• Understanding Psychological First Aid (PFA) (American Psychological Association)
• Psychological First Aid for First Responders: Tips for Emergency and Disaster Response Workers (SAMHSA)
• Helping Survivors with Stress Management Skills (American Counseling Association)
• Videos and Trainings
• Webinar: Psychological First Aid in Regional Disaster Health Operations (R7DHRE): A free, one-hour webinar on Psychological First Aid (PFA) facilitated by Dr. Jerry Walker.
• Psychological First Aid with Amy Nitza (Institute for Disaster Mental Health): A free webinar available on YouTube.

Vicarious Trauma

• Tips for Healthcare Professionals: Coping With Stress and Compassion Fatigue (SAMHSA)
• Vicarious Trauma (American Counseling Association)

Other Resources

• Disaster Fact Sheets (Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress) 
• Disaster Events Fact Sheets - resources for specific disasters (Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress)
• SAMHSA Disaster Mobile App: This free SAMHSA Disaster App offers first responders immediate access for any type of traumatic event at every phase of response, including pre-deployment preparation, on-the-ground assistance and post-deployment resources.

Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Floods, and Fires

Tornadoes and Hurricanes

• Managing traumatic stress: After a tornado (American Psychological Association)
• Tornadoes and Severe Storms (SAMHSA)
• Tornado Cleanup and Response (for providers) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Hurricanes and Other Tropical Storms (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Hurricanes (Ready.gov)
• For Children and Teens:
• Tornado Response for Kids: Right After a Tornado (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
• 10 Tornado Safety Tips to Keep Kids Safe (Save the Children)
• Tornado Response for Teens: Right After a Tornado (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
• Parent Guidelines for Helping Children after a Hurricane (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
• Tornadoes, hurricanes, and children (American Psychological Association)

Floods

• Flood Survival Guide (alarms.org)
• APA Flood Resources (American Psychological Association)
• Managing flood-related distress by building resilience (American Psychological Association)
• What to Do (and NOT Do) During a Flood (The Weather Channel)
• For Children and Teens:
• 10 Tips for Keeping Children Safe in a Flood (Save the Children)
• Hurricanes & Floods: Taking Care of Your Children and Yourself (Healthy Children.org)

Wildfires

• Wildfires (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Recovering from wildfires (American Psychological Association)
• Managing Stress After a Wildfire (American Psychological Association)
• After the Fire: Your Emotional and Physical Well-being (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• For Children and Teens:
• Parent Guidelines for Helping Children Impacted by Wildfires (National Child Traumatic Stress Network)

House Fires

• Home fires (Ready.org)
• Recovering emotionally after a residential fire (American Psychological Association)
• Picking up the pieces after a fire (American Red Cross)
• Recovering After a Fire (American Red Cross)
• For Children and Teens:
• Children and Home Fires (American Red Cross)
• Parent Guidelines for Helping Children Impacted by Arson and Home Fires (National Child Traumatic Stress Network)

Mass Shootings

General Resources for Coping After a Mass Shooting

• Managing your distress in the aftermath of a shooting (American Psychological Association)
• Incidents of Mass Violence (SAMHSA)
• APA Resources for coping with mass shootings, understanding gun violence
• The Impact of Disaster and Mass Violence Events on Mental Health (National Center for PTSD)
• Coping with Stress Following a Mass Shooting Fact Sheet (Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress)

Resources for Parents and Teachers

• Restoring a Sense of Safety in the Aftermath of a Mass Shooting: Tips for Parents and Professionals (Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress)
• Care for Caregivers: Tips for Families and Educators
• Helping your children manage distress in the aftermath of a shooting (American Psychological Association, 2/1/2019)
• Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth after the Recent Shooting (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
• Video: Caring for Kids After a School Shooting (Child Mind Institute)
• Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers (National Association of School Psychologists)
• How to talk to children about difficult news (American Psychological Association)

Resources for Providers

• Coping in the Aftermath of a Shooting (American Counseling Association)
• Gun Violence: Prediction, Prevention, and Policy (American Psychological Association)
• Gun Violence Prevention (American Psychological Association)

Acts of Terrorism

• Building resilience to manage indirect exposure to terror (American Psychological Association)
• Helping Children Cope With Terrorism - Tips for Families and Educators (National Association of School Psychologists). These resources are available in several languages (Amharic, Chinese, English, French, Korean, Spanish, Vietnamese).

COVID-19 and the Ongoing Pandemic

• COVID-19: Managing Stress in this Anxious Time (Institute for Disaster Mental Health)
• How to Deal With the Frustration That the COVID-19 Pandemic Isn’t Over Yet: 10 ways to manage stress as the pandemic lingers (Cleveland Clinic)
• Video: Caring for Yourself While Caring for Others During the Pandemic: Self-Care and Stress Inoculation (Institute for Disaster Mental Health)

War In Ukraine and Other International Displaced Children and Families

Ukraine

• American Psychiatric Association Statement and Resources on the Mental Health Impact of the War in Ukraine (American Psychiatric Association)
• War in Ukraine: Counseling and Mental Health Resources (American Counseling Association). This list includes a number of one-hour CEs about trauma.

General

• Psychological First Aid for Displaced Children and Families (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network) For providers working with any displaced children and their families. 
• Psychological First Aid for Unaccompanied Children (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network) 
• Resources Related to Refugee & Immigrant Trauma (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network)

Disaster Mental Health Training Opportunities

American Red Cross

• Free, introductory, 30-minute course on Disaster Mental Health.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

• Free, five-hour Psychological First Aid Training offered by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Psychological First Aid (PFA) Online is 5-hour interactive online course that helps participants learn the core actions of PFA and describes ways to apply them in different post-disaster scenarios and with different survivor needs. 
• Psychological First Aid for Schools (PFA-S). This webinar offers information on how PFA-S helps to reduce the distress that school communities can experience after a disaster or violent event. 
• Click here to see all disaster-related webinars offered by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.

R7DHRE Behavioral Health Team

• Free, one-hour webinar on Psychological First Aid (PFA). Facilitated by Dr. Jerry Walker of the R7DHRE Behavioral Health Team.
• Challenges of Behavioral Health for First Responders & Healthcare Providers. Facilitated by Dr. Jerry Walker of the R7DHRE Behavioral Health Team.

Disaster Mental Health Volunteer Opportunities

American Red Cross

• General information on Disaster Mental Health and the Red Cross: Compassionate care provided by licensed professionals who volunteer their time and talent.
• Eligibility Requirements for Disaster Mental Health Workers.
• Contact your local Red Cross to find out more about volunteering as a disaster mental health worker.

Region 7 Disaster Health Response Ecosystem (R7DHRE)

• Disaster Behavioral Health (DBH) responders support crisis response or recovery operations in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and/or Missouri. 
• DBH responders may participate in a real-world all-hazard disaster response remotely or in-person. DBH responders are not required to have any formal mental health training or credentials, but they will need to have completed Psychological First Aid (PFA) training prior to conducting real-world DBH activities.
• DBH responders are free to decline a support request at any time.
• Costs of DBH deployment are fully reimbursed through EMAC in declared local, state, and federal emergencies.
• Please direct any questions to Dr. Jerry Walker at [email protected].
• Click here to sign up to be a regional DBH responder here.

Compiled by the Disaster Response Committee on 7/29/2022. Note, all resources contained in this list were collected from other organizations or websites and do not contain original content created by the Iowa Psychological Association. 

This list was last updated on 3/8/2023.