Disaster Behavioral Health Resources for Arkansas Communities

In response to the recent tornadoes and severe storms across Arkansas, Lake Point Recovery & Wellness in Arkansas partnered with local and national agencies to share vital mental health and disaster recovery resources. Below are direct links to guides, tip sheets, and support services for individuals, families, caregivers, educators, and first responders coping with the emotional impact of natural disasters. All resources are freely available, and many are offered in multiple languages.

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.

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.

Tips for Survivors of a Disaster or Other Traumatic Event: Managing Stress (English & Spanish) — 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.

Be Red Cross Ready: Taking Care of Your Emotional Health after a Disaster — This fact sheet from the American Red Cross lists common reactions to a disaster, identifies ways for survivors to cope effectively, and highlights signs of the need for additional mental health support.

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 support 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.

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.

Unexpected / Mass Casualty Incidents

Trauma Notification Training (FBI) — 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.

Resources for Children, Youth, Parents, Caregivers, and Schools

Children and Disasters (SAMHSA DTAC) — Part of the Survivors of Disasters Resource Portal 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.

Tips for Talking With and Helping Children and Youth Cope — This SAMHSA tipsheet 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.

Age-related Reactions to a Traumatic Event — In this fact sheet, SAMHSA’s National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI) Network of providers known as the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (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.

NCTSN also offers tip sheets for caregivers on helping young children, school-age children, and teens cope with 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. Check each link to see other languages available.

Resources for Disaster and First Responders

Connecting Communities to Substance Use Services — 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.

First 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.

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.

Responder Safety & Health Resources (ASPR) — 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.

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.
Other DDH information is available in 30 commonly spoken languages.

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.

Prevention Technology Transfer Center Network — 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. SAMHSA helps states and communities with disaster behavioral health preparedness and response issues directly, as well as through the SAMHSA Technology Transfer Centers (TTCs) and the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC).

Tornado-specific Resources

Challenges and Solutions for Disaster Behavioral Health in Rural and Remote Communities — This edition of the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC) Supplemental Research Bulletin provides insight on the challenges of behavioral healthcare delivery to rural and remote areas and potential solutions to such barriers in response and access.

Rural Disaster Behavioral Health: A Guide for Outreach Workers and Crisis Counselors — Developed for crisis counselors and others serving rural communities that have experienced disaster, this SAMHSA DTAC guide describes unique aspects of rural communities, explains how disasters may affect rural populations, and suggests ways to help rural communities. The guide features resources and a tip sheet that can be customized for specific disaster response and recovery programs.

Tornadoes & Severe Storms — At this web page, the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline describes tornadoes and the effects they can have, lists populations at heightened risk of post-tornado distress, and provides links to related resources.

Safety Guidelines: After a Tornado — This Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web page presents recommendations for staying safe after a tornado has affected your area. Links are provided to more information about awareness of hazards in homes in areas impacted by tornadoes, hazards linked to power outages, post-disaster food and water safety, and coping with post-disaster distress.

Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care in Rural America — This webinar presents the findings of a report by the Bipartisan Policy Center on behavioral health in rural sectors of America. The webinar highlights the current disadvantages in providing care in rural areas and proposes solutions to such barriers in the long term.

Tornado Resources — At this part of its website, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) describes tornadoes and the effects they commonly have on children, teenagers, and families. The “After” section includes information about how professionals can guide parents in helping their children to cope, engaging in self-care, and seeking additional assistance as needed.

Trinka and Sam and the Swirling Twirling Wind — This children’s book from NCTSN tells the story of Trinka and Sam, two young children who are friends and neighbors who survive a tornado. The story covers experiences and reactions children may have during and after a tornado. At the end is a guide for parents and caregivers to help them use the book as a tool for supporting their children in coping after a tornado.

Flood-specific Resources

Children and Disasters — This SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC) 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 a disaster.

Flood — At this part of its website, the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline describes floods and how they can affect communities. The web page highlights signs of flood-related emotional distress, groups who are particularly at risk for emotional distress in the event of a flood, and flood-related resources.

People With Disabilities and Other Functional and Access Needs — This part of the SAMHSA Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series covers various aspects of preparedness, response, and recovery for people with disabilities and other functional and access needs.

American Indian & Alaskan Native Disaster Preparedness Resource — At this web page, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response presents information and resources to equip responders to serve effectively in American Indian and Alaska Native communities affected by disasters.

Floods and Your Safety — This web page from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides information to help people stay safe after a flood. The page includes information and links about risks associated with floodwater and safely returning to a home that has been flooded.

Flood Resources — This section of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s website describes floods and provides information for parents, other caregivers, and families about what to do before, during, and after a flood.

Flood Safety — This web page from the American Red Cross focuses on flood safety tips for families and communities. The web page encourages families and communities to implement best safety practices before, during, and after a flood, and discusses ways to stay safe after a flood.

Flooding and Your Family — This web page from North Dakota State University provides links to tip sheets, fact sheets, and other web pages on topics relevant to addressing family stress and sustaining family well-being before, during, and after flooding. Some resources focus on families living and working on farms and ranches.

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.