Federal Resources

Young children, toddlers, and preschoolers—even babies—know when bad things happen, and they remember what they have been through. Here are some ways you can help them. This tip sheet was prepared by the Child Trauma Research Project of the University of California San Francisco, part of the Early Trauma Treatment Network.

After disasters and other breaks in continuity of services, child welfare agencies' tasks are continuing to manage, capturing lessons learned, and rebuilding better systems. In this section you will find federal and state resources for longer term recovery and rebuilding from natural disasters or other major unexpected events, including resources on mental health services and research.

This guide is a companion piece to the Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities (above). It emphasizes a valuable part of emergency management planning—ongoing vulnerability assessment—and is intended to assist schools with the selection and implementation of an effective vulnerability assessment tool.

AmeriCorps NCCC is a full-time, team-based residential program for young people aged 18 to 24. Members are assigned to one of five campuses, located in Denver, Colorado; Sacramento, California; Perry Point, Maryland; Vicksburg, Mississippi; and Vinton, Iowa. The mission of AmeriCorps NCCC is to strengthen communities and develop leaders through direct, team-based national and community service. In partnership with non-profits (secular and faith-based), local municipalities, state governments, the federal government, national or state parks, Indian Tribes and schools, members complete service projects throughout the region to which they are assigned.

This booklet was created to assist parents and caregivers in helping youth cope with disasters and emergencies. The guide also provides information on preparing family emergency plans and discussing these plans with youth.

Recognizing the need for research to evaluate the current state of disaster preparedness education and research regarding youth, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) commissioned a review of the literature related to emergency preparedness education for youth. The objectives of this review were to identify research and evaluations of youth education interventions for emergency preparedness and to use the findings to develop recommendations that can be used to assess current programs and to enhance the provision of youth preparedness education programs.

The possibility of public health emergencies arising in the United States concerns many people in the wake of recent hurricanes, tsunamis, acts of terrorism, and the threat of pandemic influenza. Taking advance action helps people deal with disasters of all sorts much more effectively when they do occur. To help, CDC and the American Red Cross have teamed up to answer common questions and provide step-by-step guidance.

This website is CDC’s primary source of information and resources for preparing for and responding to public health emergencies. This site continues to keep the public informed about public health emergencies and provides the information needed to protect and save lives. The site features specific information and resources focused on different types of disasters including bioterrorism, chemical emergencies, natural disasters, radiation emergencies, mass casualties, and others.

The information from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network provides an overview of childhood traumatic grief, its general signs and symptoms, and some suggestions on what parents can do to help their child. Using this guide can be a first step for parents to help them understand their child's experience of intense grief following a death of a loved one that the child experienced as being especially difficult or traumatic.

The effects of a disaster, terrorist attack, or other public health emergency can be long-lasting, and the resulting trauma can reverberate even with those not directly affected by the disaster. This page provides general strategies for promoting mental health and resilience that were developed by various organizations based on experiences in prior disasters.

This SAMHSA Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series installment from the Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC) focuses on the reactions and mental health needs of children and youth after a disaster and contains resources from both the child trauma and disaster behavioral health fields. The collection includes an annotated bibliography and a section with helpful links to organizations, agencies, and other resources that address disaster preparedness and response issues surrounding children and youth.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Disaster Technical Assistance Center's  updated  Children and Youth Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series contains an installment focusing on the reactions and mental health needs of children and youth after a disaster.

Schools and education agencies cannot prevent natural disasters, or even many man-made crises, but they can help students prepare for and plan to respond to such emergencies. Resources are available to help schools, education agencies, and institutions of higher education develop such plans, usually in collaboration with public health and first responder agencies.

Citizen Corps was created to help coordinate volunteer activities that will make our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to any emergency situation. It provides opportunities for people to participate in a range of measures to make their families, homes, and communities safer from the threats of crime, terrorism, and disasters of all kinds. Search for your local Citizen Corps Councils, Community Emergency Response Teams, Medical Reserve Corps, Fire Corps and Neighborhood Watch programs here.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides coping resources on its blog in the wake of the Chardon High School shooting in Ohio. The blog entry provides a hotline number that individuals can call or text for disaster and trauma crisis counseling.

This resource was developed by the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement (NRCOI) a service of the Children's Bureau and provides information for before a disaster occurs, during a disaster, and after a disaster.

AmeriCorps (formerly the Corporation for National and Community Service) brings people together to tackle the country’s most pressing challenges, through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps is the only federal agency tasked with elevating service and volunteerism in America. AmeriCorps provides opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to give their time and talent to strengthen communities across the country. By bringing people together to serve communities, AmeriCorps is making service to others an indispensable part of the American experience. AmeriCorps offers individuals and organizations flexible ways to make a local impact through several key programs: State and National, VISTA, NCCC, Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions, RSVP, and Volunteer Generation Fund, along with initiatives including 9/11 and MLK Day of Service.

Established by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Disaster Technical Assistance Center supports SAMHSA's efforts to prepare states, territories, Tribes, and local entities to deliver an effective mental health and substance abuse (behavioral health) response to disasters.

This Department of Homeland Security website provides information and resources focused on disaster response and recovery. Additional information about the ways the Department of Homeland Security can help with recovery is available on the disaster assistance page

People affected by any disaster or tragedy can call the Disaster Distress Helpline, sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to receive immediate counseling. Calling 1-800-985-5990 will connect you to a trained professional from the closest crisis counseling center within the network.

This section of the Department of Homeland Security website provides information and resources focused on planning and preparing for a disaster by understanding the cycle of preparation, planning for disasters, and developing a culture of preparedness.

Based on the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care, this curriculum covers definitions of disasters and culture, how to provide culturally competent services, and disaster recovery. 

This site consolidates disaster assistance information in one place. The secure, user-friendly U.S. Government web portal allows users to apply for assistance online following a presidentially declared disaster and to find additional resources and information about recovering from a disaster.

The goal of this 60-minute podcast from the Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC) is to assist disaster behavioral health responders in providing culturally aware and appropriate disaster behavioral health services for children, youth, and families impacted by natural and human-caused disasters. Featured speakers include April Naturale, Ph.D., of SAMHSA DTAC and Russell T. Jones, Ph.D., of Virginia Tech University.  Listen to the podcast and view the presentation materials.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED)'s Office of Safe and Healthy Students' (OSHS) Center for School Preparedness provides support, resources, grants, and training to support emergency management efforts for local educational agencies and institutions of higher education.