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Responder & Community Resilience

In an effort to address unmet mental health and resilience needs identified following multiple disasters, the NIEHS Worker Training Program (WTP), with support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), launched the Gulf Responder Resilience Training Project (GRRTP) in 2012 to develop behavioral health training for disaster-impacted communities. This page contains training materials and other resources developed under the GRRTP. For a list of resources applicable to a variety of natural and man-made disasters, please visit our All-Hazards Resources page.

Training Resources

Three unique sets of awareness-level training materials have been designed to educate and empower those impacted by disasters to:

  • Recognize signs and symptoms of disaster work-related stress
  • Obtain support through an employer/organization or community resources
  • Build resilience by understanding stress reduction and coping strategies

Disaster Worker Resiliency Training Materials

This awareness-level training is designed for a wide variety of disaster-impacted workers, including those working in disaster response, recovery, and rebuilding—such as paid employees, volunteers, and homeowners in a disaster-impacted area. It may be appropriate for disaster workers who are also disaster survivors.

In English:

En Español:

Disaster Supervisor Resiliency Training Materials

This awareness-level training is designed for disaster supervisors, including managers, field coordinators, team leaders, and other personnel who are responsible for supervising work or voluntary teams doing disaster rescue, recovery, or rebuilding work. The training includes content from the Disaster Worker Resiliency Course (above) and contains an additional component that explores balancing team resilience and personal needs.

In English:

En Español:

Disaster Care Provider Training Materials

This awareness-level training is designed for community care centers, clinics, health care offices, hospitals, or disaster recovery centers, and explores the links between behavioral and physical health, post-disaster behavioral health risk factors, and the screening/detection and management of commonly-seen mental health consequences following disasters. The training can be shared with a variety of care providers, including physicians, nurses, social workers, and health care staff who interact with disaster-impacted populations.

Participant Handouts for All Resiliency Training Courses

In English:

En Español:

GRRTP Meeting Reports and Related Materials

During Phase 1 of the GRRTP, stakeholders representing community advocates, academia, and public health and safety met to discuss the training and education needs of disaster workers following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Stakeholders convened a second time to review Phase 1 progress, present preliminary findings from a Gulf worker survey, and outline the Phase 2 approach (curriculum development). A comprehensive literature review on behavioral health interventions was performed to determine the evidence base for current best practices in behavioral health for disaster responders. A subsequent meeting was conducted with behavioral health subject matter experts where the literature review was presented and behavioral health training issues were discussed.

Federal Links and Documents

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM)

Other Links and Documents

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