Resources in Response to NC Tornadoes

In response to the tornadoes in North Carolina, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network has developed resources to help children, families, and communities navigate what they are seeing and hearing, acknowledge their feelings, and find ways to cope together. These resources include:

• Parent Guidelines for Helping Children after a Tornado
• Tips for Parents on Media Coverage of the Tornado
• Questions to Ask Your Children About the Tornado
• After the Tornado: Helping Young Children Heal
• Teacher Guidelines for Helping Students after a Tornado
• Trinka and Sam and the Swirling Twirling Wind—e-book for young children (En Español)
• Tornado Response for Kids: Right After a Tornado
• Tornado Response for Teens: Right After a Tornado
• Helping Youth after a Community Trauma: Tips for Educators (En Español)
• Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event (En Español)
• Simple Activities for Children and Adolescents (En Español)
• The Power of Parenting: How to Help Your Child After a Parent or Caregiver Dies
• Once I Was Very Very Scared (En Español)  – children’s book for young children
• Pause-Reset-Nourish (PRN) to Promote Wellbeing (En Español) (for responders)

Psychological First Aid

The NCTSN also has resources for responders on Psychological First Aid (PFA). PFA is an early intervention to support children, adolescents, adults, and families impacted by these types of events. The PFA Wallet Card (En Español) provides a quick reminder of the core actions. The PFA online training course is also available on the NCTSN Learning Center. PFA Handouts include:

• Parent Tips for Helping Infants and Toddlers (En Español)
• Parent Tips for Helping Preschoolers (En Español)
• Parent Tips for Helping School-Age Children (En Español)
• Parent Tips for Helping Adolescents (En Español)
• Tips for Adults (En Español)

Mobile Apps

• Help Kids Cope
• PFA Mobile
• SAMHSA Behavioral Health Disaster Response App
• Bounce Back Now (En Español)

Disaster Helpline

SAMHSA has a Disaster Distress Helpline—call or text 1-800-985-5990 (for Spanish, press “2”) to be connected to a trained counselor 24/7/365.