Resources in the Light of National Disaster

Helping Children Cope with Current Events
Date: September 12, 2001
(With permission from the School Social Work Association of America)

Thanks to our friends at the School Mental Health Project / Center for Mental Health in Schools. Listed below is some information you might find useful.

In response to the disasters in New York and Washington DC, we want to remind/provide you some guidelines to support students, families, and staff. They are drawn from a variety of sources, and we have included references to internet addresses for centers specializing in disaster response.

Given that the emergency is one that is affecting everyone across the country, it is important for us all to be ready to provide some form of information and assistance.

Below are a few quick points and some resources for you to draw upon:

Immediate responses to disasters include shock and denial. These are normal, protective reactions. Shock leaves one feeling stunned or dazed. One may temporarily feel numb. As shock subsides, reactions vary.
Common Responses include persistent fears (about being separated from family), sleep disturbances, loss of concentration and irritability, physical complaints, withdrawal and listlessness. These symptoms occur as part of the normal, immediate human response to ovewhelming events.
Adults can begin to restore emotional well being by acknowledging feelings, asking for support, reestablishing routines, reaching out to others. They can care for the needs of children and youngsters by listening to their feelings and fears, providing information to clarify what occurred and whether it can affect their lives, and by reestablishing routines that will comfort and reassure.

For more details on responding, see the Quick Find on our website http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu Go to the Center Response section and scroll to "Crisis Prevention and Response." One of the things you will find cited is our resource aid "Responding to a Crisis at a School" which contains specific guidelines for responding and follow-up in the weeks to come. You can download this with a click and print off the relevant materials.

A few additional resources include the following:

Coping with Emotions after a Disaster
http://www.psychworks.com/PTSD%20response.htm

Managing Traumatic Stress
http://www.apa.org

After a Disaster: Steps You Can Take to Cope with a Stressful Situation
http://www.wright.edu/sopp/cps/TraumaticStress.html

The Child Survivor of Traumatic Stress
http://users.umassmed.edu/Kenneth.Fletcher/kidsurv.html

Helping Children After a Disaster: Facts for Families
http://www.aacap.org

National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
http://www.ncptsd.org

Dealing with Anger and Stereotyping

www.teachingtolerance.org
Bias Against Arabs and Muslim Americans.
A public service from the Southern Poverty Law Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
Free teaching and informational materials.

www.teachtolerance.org
Award winning "Tolerance Class" in San Clemente, California.
Promoting tolerance in the classroom. Contains syllabus and lesson plans.

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