This extensive report rose out of a conference that gathered around the question of how to care for neglected and abused children in a time where government resources are becoming scarce. It is broken into three parts: Family to Family, a section speaking about the challenges of the current child welfare system, Summary of the Conference Proceedings, and Exhibits from the Conference.

This sheet goes through the three stages of children’s grief -- Disorganization, Transition, and Reorganization.

This is an APA guide that gives tips on what parents can do to help their children and teenagers cope with and bounce back from the destruction wrought by hurricanes.

 

 

 

 

This is an article speaking about how a family is defined in different contexts, especially in relation to the slant of the political system. It addresses definitions according so social scientists, the state, a conservative free society, and a libertarian free society.

 

This handout covers a variety of topics related to the stress of having to relocate following a disaster. It will help you identify signs of stress in family members and young people of different age groups, as well as give you strategies to help them deal with the stress.

 

This article covers how families can learn to live with less income during disasters ranging from hurricanes to droughts. It talks about not only successful financial managements, but also how to manage your family relationships.

 

 

 

 

This guide from the Red Cross lists basic supplies for animal first aid, how to check vital statistics and what they should be, basic first aid, and how to handle an injured animal.

 

This FEMA fact sheet contains information on how to plan of your pet’s need during a disaster, how to find shelter for your pet, what to during a disaster, and what to do after a disaster.

 

This is another guide detailing how to care for your pet in respect to disasters. Its three sections are “Advance Planning is Essential,” “When Disaster Strikes,” and “Getting Back to Normal.”

 

This Red Cross guide talks about how to prepare your pets for a disaster. It breaks it down into “Have a Safe Place to Take Your Pets,” “Assemble a Portable Pet Disaster Supplies Kit,” and “Know What To Do As a Disaster Approaches.”

 

 

 

Entitled “Countering Depression With the Five Building Blocks of Resilience,” this article talks about how to build resilience to life’s challenges. It goes through Trust, Autonomy, Initiative, Industry, and Identity.

 

A pamphlet covering what resiliency is, how it is created, and what can be done to foster it. Attention is paid to children, the family and home, and schools.

 

A joint publication by the Discovery Channel and the American Psychological Association, this booklet address how resilience is defined, strategies to build it, and places to look for help.

 

 

 

Published by Mississippi State University, this paper talks about how to help friends and family cope with disasters. It goes into detail with a number of strategies created to help others deal with and accept what has occurred

 

This is an extensive paper entitled “Common Misconceptions about Disasters: Panic, the ‘Disaster Syndrome,’ and Looting,” written by Erik Auf der Heide.  Its basic premise it to examine the faulty assumptions behind disaster planning. It bases this in field research learned from domestic disasters.

 

This article talks about the endemic exhaustion that afflicts those who help people who are victims of disasters. It lists compassion fatigue symptoms and covers events described as compassion overdose, guilt, and crash and burn.

 

A fact sheet from the National Center for PTSD, it addresses the issue of substance abuse following a disaster. It finds that alcohol abuse tends to have little to no increase after a disaster.

 

Published by the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, this fact sheet covers one of the most unfortunate parts of recovery from a disaster: funerals and memorials. It speaks of how to carry out the ceremonies and comfort those who lost the loved one.

 

This is a paper that covers what guilt is, how to understand and assess it, survivor’s guilt, and guilt from actions taken or not taken that resulted in harm. The fifteen-page document goes very well in-depth into the history of the concept of guilt as well.

 

This is a brief fact sheet that covers the common stress reactions after a disaster (including those that are severe) and which individuals are at risk more the more severe responses.

 

An APA document that covers what symptoms are manifested in the body and mind in the wake of traumatic stress. It covers not only the symptoms, but ways to cope with them.

 

This is a Red Cross fact sheet that lists the steps you need to take after a disaster to make a speedy recovery.  It is overarching and speaks about pets, structural damage, emotional damage, and the like. It then goes into details about certain natural disasters and how to rebuild to prepare for them in the future.

 

This paper is subtitled “What to Expect in Your Personal, Family, Work, and Financial Life.” It covers stress, family changes, financial worries, and additional resources.

 

This APA fact sheet educates you on how to handle the news and notoriety of a hurricane somewhere else.

 

This APA paper talks about, by using a question and answer format, how to manage getting through tramatic events.

 

This fact sheet goes through the most common reactions of people who experience traumatic stress. It covers their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

 

 

This 132-page manual’s letter from the NAMI president says it best: “The purpose of this manual is to provide valuable information about the current mental health status of the African American community and resources for NAMI and other organizations who want to engage this community in a meaningful and culturally appropriate manner.”

 

This paper describes how to help elders, whom it touts are more vulnerable, prepare for a disaster. It is far reaching and scope and also covers what to do both during and after a disaster for older persons.

 

This contact card, which you can fill out while on your computer, reproduces five copies of itself to be distributed throughout your family. It has a place to list an out-of-area contact, family meeting places on work days, and family meetings places on non-work days.

 

This Red Cross fact sheet what you need to do to evacuate during a disaster. It gives advice on how to prepare yourself and your residence prior to the evacuation, as well as what you need to grab when you only have a few moments prior to leaving.

 

Published by Ready.gov, this paper provides a place to record your family’s emergency plan. It has places for out-of-town contact information, information on each family member, work and school locations, as well as other necessary information. You can fill it out online and then print it.

 

This report, which grew out of research on homes that both survived and did not survive Hurricane Andrew, addresses the structural components of a house that can withstand hurricane-force winds and debris. If you are rebuilding a house anywhere near a coastal area, please take a look.

 

Being a Red Cross fact sheet, this paper walks you through how to prepare yourself financially for any kind of disaster. It mentions taking a household inventory, buying insurance, and renting a safe deposit box for starters.

 

Shelter-in-place is an instruction you may be given during a time in which hazardous materials have been released into the atmosphere. Be sure to read what this actually means so that you’re able to perform it, if the case ever arises.

 

 

 

This National Center PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) fact sheet gives a good introduction to PTSD by covering how it develops, what its symptoms are, and what treatments are available.

 

This is the DSM-IV criteria for diagnosing PTSD. It is probably more useful for professionals than the public, but will still be informative for those who want to see what the standard is for diagnosis.

 

This is another good introduction to PTSD. It offers a number of quick facts about the condition and then goes into treatment options.

 

Published by the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, this guide covers the differences and similarities of PTSD and ASD (Acute Stress Disorder).

 

 

 

Depression Fact Sheet.pdf

 

This 15-page, National Institute of Mental Health presents a very in-depth look at depression. It talks about what it is, its symptoms, goes into how different populations experience it, and then what to do for treatment.

 

Flashbacks.pdf

 

This paper is a brief look at traumatic flashbacks. It lets you know that flashbacks are a normal part of the healing experience and gives advice on how best to handle it.

 

Stress Appraisal.pdf

 

Stress is a common occurrence in today’s life, and this document tells us how to identify it. It covers how stress is manifested both mentally and bodily and then goes into preventive measures.

 

Understanding Grief.pdf

 

This paper takes the death of another as the starting point for grief and feelings of loss. It talks about how to deal with the loss, how to live with it, and how to help others do the same.

 

Understanding Stress.pdf

 

There are a number of different causes of stress, as well as a few different types of it. This article informs you of all of the above, as well as risk factors, effects of stress, and its connection to trauma.

 

 

 

 

 

This paper is geared towards those challenged with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). It covers five different strategies aimed at conquering the anxiety that comes with flashbacks and other symptoms of PTSD.

 

Published by The-Bright-Side.org, this article talks about how one can use his or her attitude and humor to work with the trauma that comes with experiencing a disaster. It then lists eleven tactics to employ to help aid the healing process.

 

This article uses a technique called Grounding that is aimed at returning yourself to your lived reality and remove you from whatever anxiety and flashback you are experiencing. It lists a great number of techniques that bring about this result and encourages you to try and find out what best works for you.

 

“Humor and laughter can cause a domino effect of joy and amusement, as well as set off a number of positive physical effects,” this article begins. It goes into detail about the ways humor and laughter help us both physically and mentally, and describes ways that you can use this to your best advantage whenever you are experiencing stress or anxiety.

 

This article covers the basic idea of simply taking care of yourself. It covers a number of tactics that all accomplish this goal.

 

Meditation, commonly touted as a key to your inner self, also accomplishes a number of practical results, each of them positive. This article speaks to how this relationship actually works.

 

Progressive relaxation operates on the assumption that anxiety provoking thoughts evoke muscle tension, and that releasing this tension will reduce your anxiety. It walks the reader through the complete process.

 

Deep breathing, a technique used by a variety of people for a variety of reasons, is said to be very cleansing. This article lists an assortment of methods to strengthen your lungs, increase their capacity, and exercise them to their fullest utility.