Emergency Preparedness & Response

Disaster Mental/Behavioral Health and Emergency Preparedness

A range of mental health and chemical abuse (behavioral health) problems may surface in the early stages of an emergency situation. These may continue to emerge among the public and among professionals who respond to an event. Addressing these concerns improves the emergency response and the health of the whole community.

On this page:
COVID-19
Psychological First Aid
Responder resources
Adult and family resources
Child and school resources
Disaster planning
Suicide prevention
Teens

COVID-19

Disaster Mental/Behavioral Health and COVID-19
Mental health and behavioral health resources specific to COVID-19.

Psychological First Aid

Psychological First Aid (PFA)
Helping people to reduce stress symptoms and assist in a healthy recovery following a traumatic event, natural disaster, public health emergency, or even a personal crisis.
Minnesota Psychological First Aid Just-In-Time (Video: 11 minutes)
Video collaboration between MDH and the City of Minneapolis media department.
Are You Stressed?
Resources for People in Disaster, Emergency or Crisis
Psychological First Aid: A Minnesota Community Supported Model
MDH-U of MN School of Public Health collaboration. Five video series, with available CEUs.
Psychological First Aid (PowerPoint) (PDF)
Read the powerpoint, then take the tests and print the certificate.
Racialized Communal Trauma: Prep, Context and Healing Remembrance Utilizing Cultural Somatics & PFA (YouTube: 1 hour, 8 min)
Posted 3/9/2021

Responder resources

Psychological First Aid: Helping Victims in the Immediate Aftermath of Disaster (PDF)
Fact sheet describing the concept of "psychological first aid" and explains how to administer it.
Tips for Disaster Responders: Preventing and Managing Stress
Helping Staff Manage Stress When Returning to Work: Tips for Supervisors of Disaster Responders (PDF)
Tips for Survivors: What to expect in your personal, family, work and financial life (PDF)
A Post-Deployment Guide for Emergency and Disaster Response Workers (PDF)
A Post Deployment Guide for Supervisors of Deployed Personnel (PDF)
Understanding Historical Trauma to an Event in Indian Country
Link to get the document
Psychological First Aid for First Responders
SAMHSA tips for emergency and disaster response workers.
Self-Care Pocket Reference Guide for Emergency Response Deployment (PDF)
A guide for volunteer responders that includes pre- and post- deployment checklists and self-reflection activities. This resource was originally created for the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Health, and is now produced by Wisconsin Department of Health.

Adult and family resources

When Terrible Things Happen
Recognizing common reactions faced by survivors, and suggesting helpful and less helpful responses.
Alcohol, Medication, And Drug Use After A Disaster
Helping people understand and manage their use of alcohol, prescription medications, or other drugs after a disaster.
Helping Families Deal With the Stress of Relocation After a Disaster (PDF)
ATSDR fact sheet to help family members of different ages deal with the stress of relocation.
Tips for Survivors: Coping with anger after a disaster or other traumatic event (PDF)
National Institute of Mental Health – 5 things you should know about stress (PDF)
Adjusting to Life at Home: Tips for Families of Returning Disaster Responders (PDF)
SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline and Text to Talk line

Child and school resources

After a Crisis: How Young Children Heal (PDF)
Ready Wrigley Coping After a Disaster: Coloring Book (PDF)
Being Safe After a Flood Activity Book (PDF)
Handout for Children – Now that the flood is over, What do you do now? Tips to help yourself feel better (PDF)
Helping Children After the Flood
Children react differently to a flood and its aftermath depending on their age, developmental level, and prior experiences.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network
NCTSN provides education and technical assistance for parents, schools, the media and behavioral health professionals who work with traumatic stress in children.

Disaster planning

Resilience in Communities: Community Resilience Program
Resilience in Communities is a website that was developed by national, state and local governments, non-profits, and community agencies to advance the interplay between interdisciplinary community resilience research and public health practice. It provides a “plan, do, improve” approve to developing community resilience.
HHS Disaster Behavioral Health Concept of Operations (PDF)
MN Behavioral Health Medical Reserve Corp
Statewide group of volunteer behavioral health specialists.
Behavioral Health & Emergency Preparedness Fact Sheet (PDF)
Fact sheet discusses possible behavioral health problems that may arise during an emergency event.
American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress
The Academy works to advance interventions for survivors of trauma. They offer publications, discussion forums, and members-only resources.