CCR&R Staff Mental Health in Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery

Child Care Resource & Referrals (CCR&Rs) are ‘second responders’ in their roles as community organizations and social service providers and are an important community resource. There is a good chance that CCR&R staff will need to support their community in response to a natural disaster or other emergency at some point. 

When you help others who have experienced trauma, it can affect your health. If an emergency happens in your community, you may experience trauma of your own.  

Child Care Aware of America (CCAoA) created some resources to support CCR&R staff mental health as they support their communities after disasters.

CCAoA Resources to Support CCR&R Staff Mental Health

This resource was created to help CCR&R staff think about their own mental health before, during, and after a disaster. It provides information and resources CCR&Rs should review ahead of a disaster to ensure staff mental health needs are supported. 

This video features CCR&R staff who have experienced disasters to provide support and guidance for CCR&R staff. While it was designed to provide information before a disaster, it can also serve as a support tool after a disaster. 

• Resources
  • Caring for Ourselves as We Care for Others (HeadStart.gov) 

  • Coping with Disaster (Ready.gov) 

  • Coping with a Disaster or Traumatic Event (cdc.gov) 

  • Disaster Distress Helpline: Get Immediate Crisis Counseling and Support (SAMHSA) 

  • Disaster Preparedness, Response, Recovery, and Mitigation (SAMHSA) 

  • PFA: Basic Relaxation Techniques | The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (nctsn.org) 

  • Psychological First Aid Field Operations Guide (va.gov) 

  • Secondary Traumatic Stress (Administration for Children & Families) 

  • Secondary Traumatic Stress (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network) 

  • Tips for Disaster Responders: Understanding Compassion Fatigue (SAMHSA) 

  • Tips for Disaster Responders: Preventing and Managing Stress (SAMHSA) 

• Online Training
  • National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) Training – you will need to develop an account to register for NCTSN trainings. 
    •  Secondary Traumatic Stress: Understanding the Impact on Professionals in Trauma-Exposed Workplaces (nctsn.org) 

• Mobile Apps
  • FEMA App – The free app is your personalized disaster resource, so you feel empowered and ready to take charge of any disaster life throws your way.    

  • Psychological First Aid Tutorial App – Developed by the University of MN and the MN Department of Health the app includes practice scenarios that provide valuable opportunities to check individuals’ readiness and understanding of Psychological First Aid and self-care actions for responders before, during, and after an emergency event. 

  • Red Cross First Aid App– This free app gives instant access to information on how to handle the most common first aid situations, taking critical first aid information normally stored on bookshelves and in pamphlets and places it at the fingertips of millions of individuals – to help save lives. 

  • SAMHSA Disaster Mobile App – The free app offers responders immediate access for any type of traumatic event at every phase of response, including pre-deployment preparation, on-the-ground assistance, and post-deployment resources.