Reaching
Out to Children and Youth Following Disasters:
Selected Resources 
The
impact on children and families of disasters, trauma, or violence
presents many challenges to families and health professionals. This
guide provides resources to help children and
adolescents cope with injury; loss of loved
ones; destruction of homes, schools, and workplaces;
and other trauma.
The American Academy of Child & Adolescent
Psychiatry's Facts for Families series
provides information on a variety of issues
that affect children, adolescents, and their
families. Selected topics include Children
and Grief, Children and TV Violence, Helping
Children After a Disaster, and Talking to Children
About Terrorism and War. The fact sheets are
available in English and Spanish.
The American Academy of Pediatrics
has assembled
a collection of Coping
Resources for
parents, educators, students, schools, and pediatricians,
including resources on violence prevention, school
safety, and promoting mental health.
The American Red Cross provides
educational materials to help people of all
ages work through the emotional aspects of
disaster. Masters
of Disaster contains lessons and activities for educators
to use in helping students (K-12) work through
a broad range of questions, feelings and reactions
following a tragic event. Maintaining
a Healthy State of Mind provides
information for adults, parents, and caregivers
and middle to high school students about what
reactions to expect and how to help themselves
and others cope with unexpected events. The booklet,
Listen,
Protect and Connect presents
steps for adults to talk with children during
times of stress.
The
Children's Bureau Express Special Section
on Disaster Preparedness lists
resources related to training, children, the
legal and judicial systems, long term survivors,
FEMA's national response framework, and other
topics.
The MedlinePlus Web page, Disasters
and Emergency Preparedness, links to
overviews of family emergency preparedness,
coping information, law and policy, and pages
for specific emergency situations such as
giving birth in emergency situations and
emergency management for children and seniors.
The page also includes links to news on current
disasters and relief work.
Mental Health America's (formerly
the National Mental Health Association) Web
page, Helping
Children Cope with Loss, contains information
for parents, educators, and others on signs
of grieving in children and adolescents and
how to help them overcome loss. The Web page
also links to organizations and resources that
can provide useful materials and referral information.
The NYU Child Study Center provides
the booklet, Caring
for Kids After Trauma and Death, A Guide for Parents and Health Professionals.
The 68-page guide (available in English and Spanish) describes how
children grieve at different ages and the specific ways teachers, mental
health professionals, and parents can help them with the immediate
and ongoing tasks of grieving. Talking
to Kids About School Violence provides resources to help educators, parents, and other caregivers
support children and adolescents.
The National Association of School Psychologists' resource, Talking
to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers, lists
ways that parents and school personnel can help children feel safe
by establishing a sense of normalcy and security and talking with them
about their fears. Points to emphasize when talking to children are
also suggested.
The
National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement offers
guidelines for responding to the death of a student or school staff,
template letters for schools, and other resources.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network's Web site provides
resources for parents and other caregivers, educators, the media, and
health professionals on standards of care and access to services for
traumatized children, their families, and communities throughout the
United States.
The National Children's
Advocacy Center's Psychological
Impact of Disaster on Children lists
resources pertaining to psychological trauma experienced by children as a result of natural disaster.
The National Institute
of Mental Health's booklet, Helping
Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence and Disasters, is written
for professionals and describes the impact of violence and disasters
on children and adolescents with suggestions for minimizing long-term
emotional harm.
The Nemours Center for Children's Health Media Web site, KidsHealth contains
educational resources for children, adolescents, parents, educators,
and others. Selected topics include Dealing with Feelings, Staying Safe,
Emotions and Behavior, Positive Parenting, and In the News.
Related MCH Library Resources
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