Mental Health Resources: School Personnel Training and Classroom Resources

The following resources are intended to assist teachers and school staff, either by supporting their own mental health needs or providing them with tools and training to help students affected by Hurricane Harvey.

Post Harvey Symptoms in Children Recorded Symposium 

Organization: Baylor College of Medicine
Description: Dr. Asim Shah, professor in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, led a symposium in for area educators on identifying and addressing symptoms of post-Hurricane Harvey traumatic stress in children and adults. Counselors, psychologists, social workers and educators from more than 20 school districts and county agencies signed up for the October symposium, which focused on practical advice and age-appropriate solutions to meet the immediate and longer term mental health needs of the community, whether recovering from a storm or coping with other traumas. A recording of this symposium, the presenters’ slides, and four worksheets that can assist in the evaluation of an individual’s level of stress in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey have been posted for public use. 
Area(s): Statewide
Eligibility & Access: Not applicable

Contact / Link: https://www.bcm.edu/community/community-learning/trauma-symposium

MMHPI Strategies and Tips for Teachers, Parents, and Caregivers

Organization: Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute (MMHPI)
Description: The Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute (MMHPI) has developed the following document, Tips for Teachers to Help Children Cope with Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey (PDF 72 KB). This document lists strategies for teachers to support students in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.  
Area(s): Statewide
Eligibility & Access: N/A

NCTSN Resources for School Personnel

Organization: The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
 Description: This website (http://www.nctsn.org/resources/audiences/school-personnel) includes the following resources: Child Trauma – A Toolkit for Educators, School Resources for School Personnel, Bullying and Cyber Bullying Awareness and Prevention, Psychological First Aid for Schools, Other Network Resources for Educators on Child Trauma, and a Schools and Trauma Speakers Series. 
Area(s): Statewide
Eligibility & Access: N/A

Psychological First Aid (PFA) 

Organization: The National Child Traumatic Stress Network and the National Center for PTSD
Description: Psychological First Aid is an evidence-informed approach for assisting children, youth, adults, and families in the aftermath of disasters and terrorism. A Psychological First Aid Field Operations Guide and accompanying handouts are available for school personnel, educators, counselors and staff: http://www.nctsn.org/content/psychological-first-aid.   The free, online certification can be found: https://learn.nctsn.org/course/index.php?categoryid=11.  The PFA for Schools (PFA-S) information can be found: http://www.nctsn.org/content/psychological-first-aid-schoolspfa .
Area(s): Statewide
Eligibility & Access: N/A

For more information visit:  https://learn.nctsn.org/course/index.php?categoryid=11;

Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR) 

Organization: The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Description: SPR is an evidence-informed modular intervention that aims to help survivors gain skills to manage distress and cope with post-disaster stress and adversity. SPR is appropriate to use in the recovery phase by mental health professionals and other disaster recovery workers. It can be delivered in a variety of settings (e.g., schools, clinics, hospitals, assisted living facilities, houses of worship, community centers, libraries, and homes). You can take a SPR online course after creating an account on the Learning Center. 
Area(s): Statewide
Eligibility & Access: N/A

My Hurricane Story

Organization: Mercy Corps
Description: My Hurricane Story is a 32-page guided workbook that can help elementary school children across the hurricane-battered Gulf Coast make sense of their experiences with Hurricane Harvey. The workbook, which has been written, edited, and illustrated by noted child wellness experts, contains dozens of activities that help traumatized children constructively work through their feelings of grief and loss. It specifically addresses and explores the effects that hurricanes have had on the child, their families, pets, and homes. The workbook also features several pages that assist parents and other adults in taking care of hurricane-affected children's unique needs.
Area(s): Statewide
Eligibility & Access: Developed primarily for pre-school and elementary school students.

For more information visit: https://www.mercycorps.org/my-hurricane-story

Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators

Organization: The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Description: This toolkit is designed for educators of elementary, middle, and high school students who have experienced trauma.
Area(s): Statewide
Eligibility & Access: N/A

For more information visit: http://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/assets/pdfs/Child_Trauma_Toolkit_Final.pdf

Center for School-Based Health, Mental Health Association (MHA) of Greater Houston, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and City of Houston) 

Description:

• Using a cascade training approach, psycho-social support and trauma training can be provided to 90 teacher trainers, who will train a maximum of 6,500 educators at 60 to 90 socio-economically disadvantaged schools in Harvey-affected areas, serving between 50,000 and 80,000 students.
• A school-focused, evidence-based trauma and grief counseling training can be provided to 30-60 clinicians assigned to serve students suffering from distress or acute trauma and grief through therapeutic groups on at least 60 but not more than 90 campuses.
• Teachers can be trained on trauma-informed teaching practices using Kognito’s At-Risk software program, which simulates role-playing conversations between teachers and virtual humans. This training will be made available to up to 6,500 teachers in up to 90 schools.

Area(s): School districts in Greater Houston: Aldine, Alief, Channelview, Clear Creek, Conroe, Katy, Klein, Sheldon, Tomball, Crosby, Cypress – Fairbanks, Deer Park, Fort Bend, Galena Park, Galveston, Goose Creek, Houston, Huffman, Humble, La Porte, Lamar, Pasadena, Spring, and Spring Branch.
Eligibility & Access: Free for up to 90 socio-economically disadvantaged schools in Harvey-affected areas.

For more information contact: Lauren Pursley, Project Coordinator, lpursley@mhahouston.org.

Coping with National Disasters 

Organization: Share My Lesson

Description: This website features free lesson sharing funded by the American Federation of Teachers. Built by educators across the country, it brings together a community of teachers, paraprofessionals, school related personnel, parents, and partners to provide resources. The devastation and loss of life from events such as hurricanes or a tornado can be emotionally damaging to children. These resources will help you and your students understand and cope with natural disasters. The lesson plans are grouped by topic, subject and grade level and include resources from a variety of agencies.

Note: You must sign-up for a free membership to access these lesson plans. They are NOT screened and are contributed by authors under creative commons from across the United States.

Area(s): Statewide

Eligibility & Access: N/A

Contact / Link: https://sharemylesson.com/collections/coping-natural-disasters