Educators

Disaster Distress Intervention for Educators - Accessing and Using Resources

Children and youth are among those with the highest potential risk for emotional distress relating to a disaster. It is not uncommon for children and youth to show signs of stress months after a disaster. If left unchecked, chronic stress could develop into more serious mental and behavioral health issues that can interfere with daily life. If children and youth feel unsafe, stressed, or distracted by family issues, they are not able to focus on learning.

Schools can provide positive opportunities and supports for children and youth as they deal with distress. School and community resources can be coordinated to support children and families and provide pathways to additional direct services, when needed. For guidance and information, see below.

1. Do you have the information to help yourself?

• Managing Traumatic Stress
• Self-Care for Educators
• Resilience Guide for Parents and Teachers

2. Who in your school/district is the "go to" designated leader responsible for coordinating disaster response and educational and mental health issues resulting from a disaster?

• School Crisis Guide - National Education Association Health Information Network
• Responding to a School Crisis - Individualized Guidelines for Key School Personnel

3. Have you set up meetings to inform school personnel about typical and atypical students' responses? Here are some helpful resources for staff:

• Helping Students Cope with Media Coverage of Disasters: A Fact Sheet for Teachers and School Staff
• Responding to Natural Disasters: Helping Children and Families - Information for School Crisis Teams
• Culturally Competent Crisis Response: Information for School Psychologists and Crisis Teams
• Brief Information on Childhood Traumatic Grief For School Personnel 

    Promote helpful training opportunities for staff and families:

• Mental Health First Aid training is an interactive 12-hour course that helps the public identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorder.

4. Have you set up meetings to reach out to families coping with stress from to the oil spill so that families know how to help themselves and their children? Here are some helpful resources for families:

• Helping Children Cope With Disaster
• Emergency Preparedness for Families of Children with Special Needs
• Childhood Traumatic Grief Educational Materials - For Parents

5. Additional Educator Teaching Resources

• Psychological and Behavioral Impact of Trauma: Preschool Children
• Psychological and Behavioral Impact of Trauma: Elementary School Students
• Psychological and Behavioral Inpact of Trauma: Middle School Students
• Psychological and Behavioral Inpact of Trauma: High School Students
• Caring for Kids After Trauma, Disaster and Death: A Guide for Parents and Professionals