Crisis Response Links

Crisis Advisory to Schools: Crisis Counseling Guide
If an emergency/disaster occurs, it is important to recognize normal reactions of children to the event. Reactions of children are generally age related and specific. This section provides an overview of normal reactions within determined age groups and helpful hints for enabling children to cope with the disaster-precipitated stress. Also included is a list of symptoms which may warrant referral to a mental health professional.

Hurricane Charley in the News (Google)
Links to newspaper articles about Hurricane Charley.

International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc. Research Articles
ICISF, Inc. publishes printable documents using Adobe Acrobat. You will need Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print these documents. You can download Acrobat Reader by clicking on the icon below. There is no charge for Acrobat Reader.

CIS - Helping Children cope with Disaster
From the Search and Rescue Society of British Columbia.

Children's Reactions and Needs after Disaster (PDF)
By the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc. September 2001.

Brief Recovery Program (BRP) For Trauma Survivors (PDF)
This manual (71 pages) is designed for mental health professionals who have been trained to deliver the specific procedures included in the Brief Therapy Program. It presents a brief (4 session) psychological intervention to be delivered 2-12 weeks after an exposure to a trauma with the goal of facilitating recovery and preventing chronic post-trauma reactions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Resource Guide for Critical Incident Stress and Debriefing in Human Service Agencies (PDF)
The resource guide (57 pages) has been developed by the Department of Human Services (Melbourne, Australia) as a learning tool for non-government organisations. The guide describes critical incidents and the critical incident stress approach that is currently used throughout the Department, discusses strategies to mitigate critical incident stress, and offers management models to assist human services agencies in the support of staff involved in stressful and traumatic incidents in the workplace.

Children's Reaction to Trauma: Suggestions for Parents
From the National Mental Health and Education Center.

ASCA Crisis Links (requires membership)
From the American School Counselor Association.

Disaster Connection: Kids to Kids
From FEMA. If you have been through a disaster, this is a place where you can tell your story with poems, artwork and essays. You can also hear what other kids have to say about disasters.

FEMA Publications
You can get posters, videos and other fun things for free from FEMA.

FEMA: Response & Recovery Library
From FEMA. Articles are in both PDF and Word formats.

Managing Traumatic Stress: Tips for Recovering From Disasters and Other Traumatic Events
From the American Psychological Association.

Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence and Disasters
A booklet that describes the impact of violence and disasters on children and adolescents, with suggestions for minimizing long-term emotional harm from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Resource Guide for Crisis Management in Virginia Schools (PDF)
This Resource Guide (249 pages) includes a compilation of the most “user Friendly” examples of policies, procedures, guidelines, checklists, forms and background information.

Crisis Communications Guide & Tool Kit
The NEA Crisis Communications Guide and Toolkit provides resources to empower members facing crises and to guide their school communities toward hope, healing, and renewal.

Classroom Activities to Help Children Express Feelings
Giving children outlets for them to share their experiences and express their concerns and fears can sometimes make them feel better.

American Red Cross
Information and an easy way to donate money.

Disaster Preparedness Coloring Book (PDF)
This coloring book (26 pages) from the American Red Cross is designed for adults and children to work on together. Children can learn about fire, earthquakes, floods, tornados and other disasters, as well as how to protect themselves — all while having fun.

Disaster Preparedness Coloring Book in SPANISH (PDF)
Este libro del colorante (26 páginas) de la Cruz Roja americana se diseña para que a los adultos y a los niños trabajen encendido junto. Los niños pueden aprender sobre el fuego, los terremotos, las inundaciones, los tornados y otros desastres, así como cómo protegerse - todos mientras que teniendo diversión.

Volunteer Florida
Volunteer Florida, the Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, encourages all citizens to get involved in their community through volunteerism and service. Now, more than ever, Floridians are needed to help rebuild their communities.

Disaster Relief: How You Can Help
From the Florida Division of Emergency Management: By following guidelines for providing help, you can assist the victims of disaster without hindering the response of the agencies involved.

Children, Stress, and Natural Disasters
Children, Stress, and Natural Disasters from the University of Illinois Extension is a set of resources for teachers and other child-care or youth workers that helps prepare them for working with children who have been through a disaster. It includes A Resource Guide for Teachers that describes what teachers can do to help during the recovery period, a set of Classroom Activities for Teachers that can be used following a disaster, and a Disaster Bibliography of children's books on floods and natural disasters compiled by Lynn Blinn Pike at the University of Missouri.

Tips for Talking About Disasters
Tips for Teachers, Children and Adolescents, Adults, Families, & Emergency and Disaster Response Workers. Also in Español.

Helping children after a disaster.
From the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Crisis Counseling Guide to Children and Families in Disasters
This guide is intended for use by persons who respond to the disaster mental health needs of children in emergencies and disasters. Human service workers, emergency personnel, community members, and elected officials are responsible for planning and organizing services to meet the needs of children and families impacted by emergencies and disasters. This guide is the result of the efforts of the New York State Office of Mental Health staff experienced in disaster mental health services for children. In collaboration with the New York State Emergency Management Office, New York State Education Department, American Red Cross, and disaster agencies and organizations, the Office of Mental Health is committed to the continued development of local and state capacity to aid children and families impacted by natural and man-made disasters.

Strategies to Assist Children Manage Stress
Strategies for Parents and Teachers.

Helping Children Handle Disaster-Related Anxiety (PDF)
Fourteen page article.

Florida Jobs
Whether you are an employer, job seeker or partner, you will find important and useful information.

Helping Children Cope After a Disaster (PDF)
Short booklet you can print and handout to families.

National Organization for Victim Assistance Library
Several informative and useful materials in PDF format.

American Red Cross Facing Fear Curriculum
Facing Fear was developed to address a demand by educators and caregivers of children for materials to help children cope in uncertain times. The curriculum is a supplement to Masters of Disaster™, children's natural hazard safety curriculum. The format and components are similar, including ready-to-go lesson plans, activities and demonstrations that can be incorporated within core subject areas.

American Red Cross Fire Prevention and Safety
Masters of Disaster®: Fire Prevention and Safety was developed to help reduce unintentional deaths and injuries to children caused by residential fires. Fires and burns are the leading cause of residential death for children under the age of 15 and one-third of fire-related deaths of young children result from children playing with fire. The curriculum is a supplement to Masters of Disaster, children's natural hazard safety curriculum. The format and components are similar, including ready-to-go lesson plans, activities and demonstrations that can be incorporated within core subject areas.

American Red Cross: Disaster Preparedness Materials
The American Red Cross provides this information to help you help your children cope. Ultimately, you should decide what's best for your children, but consider using these suggestions as guidelines.

FEMA: Helping Children Cope with Disaster
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the American Red Cross have prepared this brochure to help you help your children cope. Ultimately, you should decide what's best for your children, but consider using these suggestions as guidelines.

How To Ride Out a Hurricane (DOC)
Helpful tipsheet and links.

Tips for Helping Kids Feel Safe in Stressful Times
Variety of articles and links from the NYU Child Study Center.

National Resource Center for Child Traumatic Stress Resource Center
Various articles and resources: The National Resource Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NRC-CTS) supports the mission of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network by providing relevant, practical information and resources to professionals and the public, including survivors of childhood trauma, their families, and communities.

Responding to Tragedy: An Annotated List of Web Sites
This site was developed by the Shared Services Network Resource Center,University of South Florida, through the Student Support Services Project, funded by the State of Florida, Department of Education, Bureau of Instructional Support and Community Services, through federal assistance under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B.

Help with the Healing on the Web
Even with the healing passage of time, children can have trouble handling the emotions of fear, anger and grief, and the continuing national war on terrorism raises the emotional stakes. Connect for Kids has compiled resources to help.

Crisis Management Institute
At CMI our greatest expertise is in the school setting, addressing Crisis response, peaceable schools and violence prevention.

National Center for School Counseling Outcome Research
The National Center for School Counseling Outcome Research is dedicated to improving the practice of School Counseling by developing the research base that is necessary for responsible and effective practice. The Center provides national leadership in the measurement and evaluation of the outcomes of school counseling interventions and programs. In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Center helps K-12 leaders and practitioners use research findings and methods to improve school counseling practice by enabling them to set standards, establish benchmarks, implement evidence-based interventions, measure student learning outcomes, and evaluate program effectiveness.

The Guidance Channel
The Guidance Channel is website designed for school counselors on topics ranging from At-Risk youth to Special Education to Parent Education. It offers reviews of books, excerpts from articles and links to resources on a variety of issues.

SRA/McGraw-Hill - "The Big Wave"
The site includes lesson plan ideas using the book "The Big Wave" - the story of a Japanese boy's survival of a tidal wave and his subsequent struggle to deal with the significant loss of his community. Written by Pearl Buck, an American raised in China, the story is included in SRA's Open Court Reading (c) 2005 Grade 4 Student Anthology. It is also available for purchase from retailers such as Amazon or through local libraries.

Tsunami-Relief Groups Advise K-12
As American schools pitch in with an array of charitable projects in response to the tsunami in South Asia, experts say educators and students should consider carefully how they can most effectively support relief groups, avoid fund-raising scams, and incorporate their efforts into service-learning programs.

Safe & Orderly Schools
From the NASSP website, "As administrators, we are obligated to ensure a safe environment for our students and faculty. Although research indicates our schools are safe environments for learning, we are obligated to do everything possible to prevent violence or harassment and address it quickly if it does occur. The principal's association provides information about safe schools and what you can do to ensure safety in your school."

After The Storm: A GUIDE TO HELP CHILDREN COPE WITH THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF A HURRICANE (PDF)
After The Storm contains information, activities and coping strategies to help parents and children cope with their reactions and feelings resulting from a hurricane and its aftermath. The material is designed in an interactive format, with adult and child-specific pages containing information and activities targeted for the intended audience. In some sections, "joint" activities are included to further enhance resilience by encouraging positive coping interactions between children and adults. The book is designed for use with children 6-12 years of age, but much of the information and activities can be adapted for use with older or younger children. To download After The Storm, click on the link below.

Teacher Guidelines for Helping Students after a Hurricane (PDF)
Children's reactions to the hurricane and its aftermath are strongly influenced by how their parents, teachers, and other caregivers cope during and after the storm. They often turn to these adults for information, comfort, and help. There are many reactions to hurricanes and other frightening events that are common among children. These generally diminish with time, but knowing that these reactions are likely - and normal - can help teachers be prepared.

Childhood Traumatic Grief Educational Materials for School Personnel
This guide does not call for educators to take responsibility for providing therapy for children with traumatic grief. That task falls to qualified mental health professionals. School personnel, however, play important roles in observing children, understanding how to create a supportive school environment, and knowing when it is best to suggest referral to a professional.

Trauma Information Pamphlet for Teachers (Word)
This pamphlet includes suggestions for teachers taking care of themselves during stressful times, as well as tips on working with traumatized children. Resumption of schooling is important to promote the welfare of children and their families. Teachers play an important role in this process.

NCTSN for School Personnel
Information tailored for school personnel, including General Information on School Safety, the Effects of Trauma on Schools and Learning, the 3 R's of School Crises and Disasters, Service Intervention Programs, and guidelines for staff members of schools that are currently in crisis. The information is not specific to hurricanes but is applicable to numerous crises.

Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC)
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) provides prevention support, training, and resources to assist organizations and individuals to develop suicide prevention programs, interventions and policies, and to advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.

Managing Anxiety in Times of Crisis
For children, adolescents, and adults. Also in Spanish.

Learn CPR
Learn CPR is a free public service supported by the University of Washington School of Medicine. Learn the basics of CPR - cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Updated with new CPR Guidelines issued by the American Heart Association and published in Circulation, Dec 13 2005.

Resources for the Haitian Community
Various resources and information (in both English and Creole).