The Dialogue: Children and Disasters

The Dialogue: Children and Disasters

Children and Disasters After a disaster, children may be affected in a variety of ways, including their short- and long-term functioning, psychosocial adjustment, health, and their developmental trajectory. Children often have different needs before, during, and after disasters. After Hurricane Katrina, disaster response experts recognized that the unique needs children have had been overlooked in federal and state disaster planning (Save the Children). Children are a vulnerable group that make up 25 percent of the nation, and it is vital to be prepared ahead of a disaster to help limit the risk of children’s separation from their families, and to speed up recovery. This issue of The Dialogue from the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC) highlights the important process of helping children prepare for and cope with their reactions to disasters. A variety of preparedness and recovery resources are offered to better help parents, caregivers, and disaster behavioral health professionals. Additionally, several programs are discussed that can help inspire your community to help children better prepare for and recover after a disaster. Has your program had success reaching out to children? Do you have suggestions or lessons learned from your experiences? Please email your experiences or recommendations to us at dtac@samhsa.hhs.gov. We’ll print selected reader comments in a future issue of The Dialogue. Download the Full Issue [PDF – 1.3 MB]

Issue Highlights Texas Child Specialists Serve Communities Hurricane Harvey swept through the Caribbean and made landfall in Texas in August 2017. Texas’s Hurricane Harvey Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP), Texans Recovering Together, organized as a team to meet the needs of children and youth. The Dialogue spoke with the Texas CCP to find out more about their work and what they have learned along the way. Preparedness and Recovery Resources for Children This collection of resources can provide staff in CCPs and other disaster mental health programs with additional guidance and strategies for their outreach efforts to children. Listed are resources from the American Red Cross, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and more. Colorado Spirit’s Approach to Helping Children Recover After a Disaster The Waldo Canyon Fire moved through Colorado in June of 2012, causing 32,000 residents to evacuate, and affecting children and families. The Colorado Spirit CCP team incorporated a program focused on family preparedness to lessen fear and stress connected to disasters. Read more about the “I’m Not Scared When I’m Prepared” project that they implemented in local schools. Spotlight on Disaster Behavioral Health Programs for Children These spotlights are on programs of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, Save the Children, and the American Red Cross. Learn more about their efforts to help children and their families, and resources they provide. Recommended Resources Tips for Talking With and Helping Children and Youth Cope After a Disaster or Traumatic Event: A Guide for Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers This tip sheet from SAMHSA covers possible reactions that children ranging from infancy to age 19 might have to a disaster or traumatic event; how you can best support and comfort them; and how you can know when it’s time to get outside help. Learn more about how paying attention, allowing children to ask questions, and being a good model of self-care can benefit the children in your life after a disaster. Psychosocial Issues for Children and Adolescents in Disasters This guide from SAMHSA was developed for anyone working with children after a disaster. It walks through common reactions children may display after a traumatic event and steps that can be taken in the process of supporting them. The guide also shares several stories that show children reacting after a disaster. They demonstrate how anxiety, disruptive behavior, and other emotions can display themselves and how you can help. Helping Children Cope This page from Ready.gov informs parents trying to properly care for their children after a disaster. It details several ways you can help make disasters less traumatic and shares a list of frequently asked questions from parents with children of a range of ages. It answers in detail the best ways to approach different emotions and reactions after various disasters. Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event This tip sheet from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network helps parents, schools, and communities develop a better understanding of how children of various ages may react to a traumatic event. Preschool children, school-age children, and adolescents can each be supported in a variety of ways to promote their emotional recovery after a disaster or traumatic event. About The Dialogue The Dialogue, a quarterly technical assistance journal, is an arena for professionals in the disaster behavioral health field to share information, resources, trends, solutions to problems, and accomplishments. Read previous issues of The Dialogue. The views, opinions, and content expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).