In the wake of the tragic air collision at DCA, the emotional and psychological toll on the families impacted, first responders, and our community at-large is profound. If you have been impacted by this event, it’s crucial to prioritize your mental well-being.
Below is list of mental health support materials and resources provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), including resources focused on general behavioral health needs after a traumatic incident, as well as separate sections listing materials for children, youth, and caregivers, and first responders.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) supports preparedness efforts by states, U.S. territories, tribes, and local entities to deliver an effective mental health and substance use-related (behavioral health) response to disasters.
General Disaster Response and Recovery Information
Tips for Survivors: Coping With Anger After a Disaster or Other Traumatic Event—Developed by SAMHSA, this tip sheet intends to aid survivors in coping with bouts of anger that may follow disasters or traumatic events. The tip sheet describes the physical changes that may indicate anger and provides guidance for coping and integrating positive habits into your life, as well as resources for additional support. https://store.samhsa.gov/product/tips-survivors-coping-anger-after-disaster-or-other-traumatic-event/pep19-01-01-002
Tips for Survivors: Coping With Grief After a Disaster or Traumatic Event—In this tip sheet, SAMHSA defines and describes grief, discusses ways of coping with grief, and explains complicated or traumatic grief. The tip sheet also offers relevant resources for additional support. https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Tips-for-Survivors-/SMA17-5035
Tips for Survivors of a Disaster or Other Traumatic Event: Managing Stress—This SAMHSA tip sheet gives stress prevention and management tips for dealing with the effects of a disaster or trauma. It identifies common reactions to disasters and other traumatic events, lists tips to manage and lower stress, and highlights signs of the need for professional support. https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Tips-for-Survivors-of-a-Disaster-or-Other-Traumatic-Event-Managing-Stress/SMA13-4776
Tips for Survivors of a Disaster or Traumatic Event: What To Expect in Your Personal, Family, Work, and Financial Life—In this tip sheet, SAMHSA describes the effects that disasters and other traumatic events can have on survivors in general, and specifically on different parts of their lives. The tip sheet suggests steps to cope with a disaster or other trauma, lists signs of the need for professional mental health and substance use assistance, and identifies resources for additional information and support. https://store.samhsa.gov/product/tips-survivors-disaster-or-traumatic-event-what-expect-your-personal-family-work/pep23-01-01-010
PFA: Tips for Adults—Part of the Psychological First Aid (PFA) Field Operations Guide, this handout identifies common reactions in adults who have experienced a disaster, suggests responses, and offers examples of things to do and say to cope with the reaction. These suggestions and examples include a breathing exercise for relaxation, prioritization of responsibilities that feel overwhelming, and tapping into existing relationships for support. https://www.nctsn.org/resources/pfa-tips-adults
The resource is available in five additional languages:
PFA: When Terrible Things Happen – What You May Experience—Also part of the Psychological First Aid (PFA) Field Operations Guide, this handout identifies common reactions to disasters and other extremely adverse events and suggests a wide range of steps people can take to improve well-being and enhance resilience. https://www.nctsn.org/resources/pfa-when-terrible-things-happen
Unexpected/Mass Casualty Incidents
Trauma Notification Training—The Federal Bureau of Investigation offers this self-guided, freely available online course, which prepares participants to deliver trauma or death notifications to next of kin. Designed for law enforcement officers, other first responders, victim specialists, and others who may need to deliver trauma or death notifications, the course offers a four-step process, including planning, preparing, delivering, and following up. https://le.fbi.gov/trauma-notification-training/launch-course-instructor-resources
Resources for Children, Youth, Parents and Other Caregivers, and Schools
Children and Adolescents—Two sections of the SAMHSA Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series (DBHIS) resource collection focus on the common responses and needs children and adolescents may have during and after disasters. These sections include resources that highlight the unique needs of children and adolescents in and after disasters, as well as how adults who work with children, and parents and other caregivers, can offer support to children and adolescents in coping. Following are SAMHSA DBHIS sections related to children and adolescents:
Children and Disasters—Part of the Survivors of Disasters Resource Portal (https://www.samhsa.gov/dtac/disaster-survivors) at the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center website, this web page describes how children and teenagers may experience disasters differently from adults, offers tips for disaster planning for families, identifies common reactions to disasters in children and teenagers, and provides suggestions for adults for helping children and teenagers cope after disaster. Links to related resources are also provided. https://www.samhsa.gov/dtac/disaster-survivors/children-and-disaster
Tips for Talking With and Helping Children and Youth Cope After a Disaster or Traumatic Event: A Guide for Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers—This SAMHSA tip sheet can help parents, other caregivers, and teachers recognize and address problems in children and teens affected by a disaster. The tip sheet describes reactions that are common in young survivors at different ages, as well as how to help children cope with these reactions. https://store.samhsa.gov/product/tips-talking-and-helping-children-and-youth-cope-after-disaster-or-traumatic-event-guide/pep23-01-01-012
Age-related Reactions to a Traumatic Event—In this fact sheet, NCTSN provides an overview of how children and adolescents may react to a traumatic event, including a natural or human-caused disaster that they experience as traumatic. This resource describes reactions typical within specific age ranges and offers tips for families, doctors, and school personnel to help children and adolescents cope. https://www.nctsn.org/resources/age-related-reactions-traumatic-event
Helping School-Age Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers—After children lose someone they love in a disaster or other event, they may go through traumatic grief, particularly if the death was sudden or frightening. In this tip sheet, NCTSN explains how school-age children may experience traumatic grief and suggests ways for parents and other caregivers to support them in moving through and coping with this type of grief. https://www.nctsn.org/resources/helping-school-age-children-traumatic-grief-tips-caregivers
Helping Teens with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers—This NCTSN tip sheet explains how teens may experience traumatic grief, a type of grief that people may go through after a death that occurs as part of a disaster or other sudden or violent event. The tip sheet describes 10 ways that teens may feel, behave, and express themselves as they go through traumatic grief. For each reaction, it suggests ways for parents and other caregivers to offer support. https://www.nctsn.org/resources/helping-teens-traumatic-grief-tips-caregivers
This tip sheet is provided in three other languages:
Helping Young Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers—In this tip sheet, NCTSN explains how young children may experience traumatic grief, which can arise after a disaster or other event in which the child lost a loved one. The tip sheet lists ways in which young children may go through and express traumatic grief and offers suggestions for parents and other caregivers to support children in coping. https://www.nctsn.org/resources/helping-young-children-traumatic-grief-tips-caregivers
This tip sheet is provided in three other languages:
Resources for Disaster Responders and First Responders
Connecting Communities to Substance Use Services: Practical Approaches for First Responders—This guide explains how first responders can play a crucial role in helping people who use drugs find and access substance use services and other services and resources to improve their health and well-being. The guide covers foundational skills and practices and public health approaches for first responders to use in support of people who use drugs, as well as things to consider in implementing practices and programs to help people who use drugs and their communities. https://store.samhsa.gov/product/connecting-communities-substance-use-services-practical-tools-for-first-responders/pep23-06-01-010
First Responders and Disaster Responders Resource Portal—This part of the SAMHSA DTAC website notes the stressors that may be involved in work as a responder, identifies signs of stress, and offers coping tips. The page features links to tip sheets, online trainings, and other resources related to responder mental health and freedom from substance use issues and conditions. https://www.samhsa.gov/dtac/disaster-responders
A Guide to Managing Stress for Disaster Responders and First Responders—This SAMHSA guide is designed for first responders, public health workers, construction workers, transportation workers, utility workers, crisis counselors, and volunteers who respond to disasters and other crises. The guide provides information on how people experience stress; signs of extreme stress; and ways for organizations and individuals to manage and mitigate stress before, during, and after disaster response. https://store.samhsa.gov/product/managing-stress-responders/pep22-01-01-003
SAMHSA Behavioral Health Disaster Response App—The SAMHSA Disaster App is a free tool for first responders and disaster response and recovery workers. It provides geographically specific information about mental health and substance use services to support individual and community referrals (through FindTreatment.gov). The tool also provides resources for first responders and disaster response and recovery workers to support their pre-deployment preparation, on-the-ground assistance, and post-deployment demobilization. The app is available for download on Apple and Android devices. https://library.samhsa.gov/product/samhsa-disaster-mobile-app/pep13-dkapp-1
Responder Safety and Health—In this topical resource collection, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) provides a wealth of items for health care, public health, and emergency management professionals pertaining to safety, including mental health-related safety for responders. Part of the ASPR Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange resource, the collection features three sections about responder behavioral health and resilience. https://asprtracie.hhs.gov/technical-resources/72/responder-safety-and-health/0
Additional Resources for Acute Needs
SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline—The SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH) provides free, confidential crisis counseling and support to people in distress due to natural and human-caused disasters. The DDH is available 24/7, on all days of the year, via talk or text to 1–800–985–5990. The line also offers support in Spanish (people who call or text should press 2 for this option) and more than 100 additional languages. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can text or call the DDH at 1–800–985–5990 using their preferred relay provider. https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/disaster-distress-helpline
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline—The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a source of support available 24/7 to people in crisis, including people experiencing challenging reactions to disasters. Call 988 for support in English or Spanish. https://988lifeline.org
A disaster event such as this is unexpected and often brings out strong emotions. People can call or text the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline’s toll-free number (1–800–985–5990) and receive immediate counseling. This free, confidential, multilingual crisis support service is available to anyone experiencing distress as a result of a natural or human-caused disaster. People who call and text are connected to trained, caring professionals from crisis counseling centers in the network. Helpline staff provide confidential counseling, referrals, and other needed support services.
Download theSAMHSA Disaster Mobile App - The SAMHSA Disaster Mobile App is a free tool for first responders and disaster response and recovery workers. It provides geographically specific information about mental health and substance use services to support individual and community referrals (through FindTreatment.gov). The tool also provides resources for first responders and disaster response and recovery workers to support their pre-deployment preparation, on-the-ground assistance, and post-deployment demobilization. The app is available for download on Apple and Android devices. https://store.samhsa.gov/product/samhsa-disaster-mobile-app/pep13-dkapp-1
