A Toolkit for Child Welfare Agencies to Help Young People Heal and Thrive During and After Natural Disasters

Child welfare administrators should establish natural disaster-specific plans and policies that align with trauma-informed care and prioritize the emotional and physical well-being of children and youth.

• Ensure that natural disaster planning includes specific information about how to address child, youth, and staff emotional well-being and trauma. Consider establishing memorandums of understanding with mental health agencies to assist in resource sharing and recovery.

• Develop partnerships with community agencies, organizations that tailor resources to specific populations (e.g., children or youth who are immigrants or from families of immigrants, LGBTQ+), and religious organizations for assisting families with basic needs (e.g., clothing, food pantries).

• Engage in formal partnerships with local emergency response and community agencies to ensure the child welfare agency and system is included in community preparedness.

• Share comprehensive disaster plans widely within the child welfare agency and with community partners to ensure all stakeholders have access to disaster response information. Practice and review disaster plan implementation regularly with staff, including drills and evaluation of the drills (e.g., identifying lessons learned, amending plan as needed). Sharing and practicing disaster plans in advance of a natural disaster helps agencies collaborate and implement plans more effectively when the disaster does occur.

Child welfare supervisors and staff should work together with children, youth, and their families to develop emergency plans before a natural disaster occurs and ensure the plan aligns with a trauma-informed approach and prioritizes the emotional well-being of children and youth.

• Partner with children, youth, and their families to develop a family preparedness, safety, and communication plan and review the plan regularly. The plan should include measures for ensuring physical safety when a disaster occurs (e.g., shelter in place, escape routes), tailored to the type(s) of disaster that occur in the local area. The plan should also address what to do when children are at home and school. Include plans for communication if a child or youth is separated from parents or other caregiver(s) during the disaster, including easily accessible contact information for family members, caseworkers, therapists, and other supports. Identify alternative, safe placement options, in combination with a plan for reunification. Review the plan every few months, particularly for children and youth who may experience changes in placement or who may be transitioning out of care. For a sample family preparedness, safety, and communication plan, download the NCTSN family preparedness plan and wallet card.

• Ensure that children, youth, and their families are informed about the nature and timing of common disasters and pandemics in your area (i.e., what time of year they tend to occur), common reactions among children and youth (particularly those with trauma histories), and how to access updated official disaster information.

• Assemble an emergency supply kit and plans for meeting the child, youth, and family’s basic needs when a disaster occurs. Children and youth should have access to enough water, food, and other emergency supplies for at least three days and secure access to medications for at least seven days. Help children, youth, and their caregivers identify resources for basic needs after emergency supplies have been used, including whom to call for support. For a list of resources and templates for family emergency planning, go to https://www.ready.gov.

Child welfare administrators should implement or enhance comprehensive, agency-wide, and system-wide policies, procedures, and infrastructure that are trauma-informed and prioritize the emotional and physical well-being of children and youth.

• Include trauma-informed principles and language in agency-wide and system-wide policies and procedures, identifying exposure to natural disaster as a type of adversity that can lead to trauma.

• Conduct an organizational self-assessment for trauma-informed organizations. To get started, see the Put It Into Practice #4 resource.

• Implement training using an evidence- and trauma-informed curriculum tailored to the needs of children, youth, and families in the child welfare system; the curriculum should be implemented systemwide within the agency and throughout state, local, territory, and tribal child welfare systems (e.g., National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit).

• Conduct universal screening using a valid, reliable, age-appropriate, and culturally sensitive universal screening tool to identify types of adversity exposure and symptoms of trauma in response to a natural disaster (e.g., UCLA Brief COVID-19 Screen for Child/Adolescent PTSD; Child PTSD Symptom Scale). Screening for adversity and trauma should be conducted as one component of a comprehensive, developmentally sensitive approach to assessing strengths and needs, including resilience and protective factors (e.g., PACEs Questionnaire).

• Develop strong partnerships with mental health and community service organizations, as well as a system for referral and follow-up (see Section 3 of this Toolkit for a list of evidence-informed trauma and mental health interventions).

Child welfare supervisors and staff should seek out and participate in trauma-informed and natural disaster-specific training and professional development to support engagement in practices that promote social and emotional well-being and positive development and behavior among children and youth who have experienced trauma.

• Engage in comprehensive training and professional development opportunities in trauma-informed practices for child welfare supervisors and staff, such as the Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit.

• Complete training in evidence-informed models for natural disaster preparedness and response, such as Psychological First Aid (PFA). For more information on these models, see Section 3 of this toolkit.

• Conduct universal screening for adversity and trauma symptoms with children and youth on your caseload, using a valid, reliable, and developmentally- and culturally- sensitive tool (e.g., UCLA Brief COVID-19 Screen for Child/Adolescent PTSD; Child PTSD Symptom Scale; Young Child PTSD Screener).

• Become familiar with evidence-based treatments and supports for children and youth experiencing trauma; develop relationships with providers, community agencies, and schools that offer these types of services and supports; and make appropriate referrals to support the emotional well-being of children and youth. For a list of these approaches, see Section 2 of this toolkit and reference intervention registries, such as the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (www.cebc4cw.org) or Blueprints for Health Youth Development (www.blueprintsprograms.org), to obtain specific information on types of interventions, their level of evidence, for whom interventions were designed, and eligibility for federal reimbursement.

Child welfare administrators should ensure that disaster policies and procedures that incorporate anti-racist, anti-oppression guidance address the needs of children and youth who are disproportionately impacted by natural disasters and other adversities, and/or who are overrepresented in the child welfare system, including Black, Latinx, American Indian, Alaska Native, and LGBTQ+ children and youth.

• Create a senior management position dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion at the organizational level and ensure the individual in this position participates in disaster preparedness and response planning.

• Actively partner with children, youth, and families (e.g., through interviews, focus groups, committees and councils, or other approaches) to develop language, review and assess information on disparate impact, and utilize equity-focused resources to guide disaster response planning. Ensure you partner with groups who are overrepresented in child welfare.

• Incorporate anti-racist and anti-discrimination policies and procedures within disaster plans and policies to reduce inequities in the child welfare system using a systematic approach, such as a racial equity impact analysis (REIA). Establish a policy review team to conduct the REIA of disaster plans and policies, ensuring representation of impacted groups on the team.

• Incorporate LGBTQ+ responsive language and approaches in disaster plans and policies and explicitly outline strategies for staff to affirm LGBTQ+ identities and strengths during a natural disaster. Ensure supports are applicable to both families of choice and families of origin for LGBTQ+ youth.

• Partner with schools, early childhood programs, mental health agencies, crisis response teams, and other community agencies that are committed to culturally responsive, anti-racist, and/or LGBTQ-affirming practices. Partner with agencies and interpreters that can provide services and resources in the child/youth’s preferred language.

Child welfare supervisors and staff should engage in professional development and practices that are anti-racist and anti-oppressive, and that address disproportionality of representation in the child welfare system.

• Seek out and participate in training and professional development on racial diversity, equity, and inclusion, particularly regarding disproportionality in the child welfare system. The California Evidence Based Clearinghouse has rated several models on their evidence for reducing disproportionality (e.g., Family Assessment Response, Preliminary Protective Hearing Benchcard)—become familiar with these models and their practices.

• Seek out and participate in training on the needs of LGBTQ+ children and youth using formalized resources and models. Use identity-affirming language when working with children and youth, ensure that resources are LGBTQ+ focused and affirming, and identify LGBTQ+-affirming referrals for outside services.

• Talk and raise awareness about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Explicitly ask staff about discrimination and racism they have experienced and seek ways to address and prevent future harm. Engage in meaningful conversations with supervisors and colleagues about racial and ethnic diversity in the workforce. These discussions should be intentional and semi-structured. Group discussions should be moderated by a leader with expertise in diversity, equity, and inclusion and should follow best practices for discussing these topics.

Child welfare administrators should establish staff protocols for maintaining regular contact with children, youth, and families during and after a natural disaster occurs.

• Establish formal protocols for frequent and ongoing contact with children, youth, and families during and after a natural disaster occurs to monitor their physical and emotional risk, safety, and well-being and to keep them informed about the disaster and available resources while following safety guidelines.

• Build agency capacity for a seamless transition to virtual services (e.g., telehealth) before a natural disaster and continuously monitor opportunities for emergency and grant funding for virtual services and technology supports.

• Develop electronic and printable resource libraries for staff to quickly access and provide information to children, youth, and their caregivers on natural disasters, their effects, and approaches to addressing the physical and emotional needs of children and youth.

Child welfare supervisors and staff should partner with children, youth, and families to establish communication plans in the event of a natural disaster and review the plan regularly.

• Incorporate disaster communication plans into regular goal setting and service planning with children, youth, and families, including contingency plans for when in-person contact is unavailable, methods for getting in touch with loved ones within and outside the home or residential setting, and alternative emergency contacts and supports when electronic communication may be limited.

• Review the disaster communication plan regularly or any time a placement changes or another major transition occurs.

• Identify and become familiar with natural disaster-related resources for families and consider keeping printable copies of resource lists easily accessible to staff, children, youth, and their caregivers. Include information on natural disasters, their effects, and approaches to addressing the physical and emotional needs of children, youth, and their families.

Child welfare administrators should establish an organizational culture that prioritizes the physical and emotional well-being of staff and administrators.<br /><br />

• If staff were directly impacted by the disaster, take immediate steps to support their physical and emotional well-being by connecting staff with available supports within the agency/system and in the community.

• Formalize strategies for preventing, identifying, and addressing secondary traumatic stress and vicarious trauma among child welfare staff and administrators by creating and implementing a workforce wellness plan that promotes high-quality, trauma-informed services and reduces staff burnout and turnover.

• Model self-care and work-life balance for supervisors and staff throughout the organization.

• Increase staff awareness of the potential impacts of working with traumatized individuals on their own well-being, and emphasize the importance of prioritizing self-care (e.g., mindfulness, exercise, good nutrition, rest, social support, counseling).

• Assess staff well-being by routinely screening for secondary traumatic stress among staff (e.g., Professional Quality of Life Measure; Secondary Traumatic Stress Informed Organization Assessment Tool) and in the organization (e.g., Secondary Traumatic Stress Informed Organization Assessment), and offer information for self-care activities, employee assistance, or obtaining external sources of support.

• Create “trauma-free zones” or “self-care rooms” to provide a space for mental and physical nourishment (i.e., snacks, water), including wellness activities (e.g., mindfulness, yoga, exercise, quiet time, time to connect with supportive colleagues) and resources on trauma, healing, and resilience for staff, supervisors, and administrators.

Child welfare supervisors and staff should prioritize self-care and physical and emotional well-being in their work through regular, routine activities and practices.

• Identify sources of social support and enjoyable activities outside of the workplace, such as spending time with family, spiritual/religious groups, clubs, or hobbies and make a routine for spending time engaging in them each week. The best way to make a routine into a habit is to share your intentions with someone else who can help encourage you in your goals.

• Reach out to supportive colleagues and supervisors about work-related stress or when you have a tough day or when a case does not end well.

• Remember the importance of your work and your reason for working in child welfare, centering your thoughts on the beneficial aspects of your work.

• Keep an eye out for unhealthy coping methods, such as drinking too much alcohol, substance use, increased arguments or tension with family or friends, or losing too much sleep. Be aware of community resources and employee assistance programs to support you with these needs if they arise. Share these resources with a colleague who may benefit from them and follow-up to check if they were successfully connected.

• Closely monitor changes in federal, state, territory, tribal, and county child welfare policies designed to address disaster-related challenges and to support child, youth, family, and staff well-being.

• Engage in cross-system collaboration and disaster planning with other national, state, and local child- and family-serving organizations, community organizations, and emergency systems (e.g., Red Cross, FEMA, law enforcement, schools) to coordinate a trauma-informed response.

• Monitor updates to best practices for safety monitoring and emerging, promising approaches to addressing disaster-related trauma, in addition to existing evidence-informed approaches (see Section 3).

• Establish protocol and procedures for identifying and addressing primary and secondary trauma reactions among staff, particularly those regularly working in the field with children, youth, and families. Connect staff with supports for coping with uncertainty and encourage maintenance of routines, even in the event of displacement or evacuation.

• Monitor emergency and related funding opportunities to build agency infrastructure to respond to disaster-related needs for children and youth and maintain consistent service delivery (e.g., investing in telehealth, mental health training/consultation).

• In the days and weeks after a natural disaster occurs, use an evidence-informed approach to support children and youth (e.g., Psychological First Aid). Before asking questions or collecting information from children, youth, and their families, begin by establishing regular contact and engaging with children and youth on your caseload; assessing for physical and emotional risk and safety; offering ways to provide support and comfort; and connecting the child or youth to resources for stabilization, if there is ongoing crisis (e.g., loss of home). For additional tips on how to respond to a natural disaster in the immediate aftermath, see the Put It Into Practice #5 resource. For additional information on Psychological First Aid, see Section 3 of this toolkit.

• Encourage parents and caregivers to develop awareness and skills for supporting children and youth in their care during and after a natural disaster. Parents/caregivers should provide factual information on what has happened and what to expect after a natural disaster; discourage over-exposure to media about the natural disaster; download the Help Kids Cope app developed by the NCTSN for tips on talking to children and youth about natural disasters; and encourage engaging in regular routines as much as possible to instill a sense of normalcy. Visit www.nctsn.org for additional disaster-specific resources for parents/caregivers and staff, which are updated regularly for major disasters.

• Avoid using “debriefing” techniques by having children and youth talk about the details of the natural disaster in the immediate aftermath, as these approaches can actually increase risk for ongoing posttraumatic stress. If a child or youth shows ongoing reactions of trauma, referral to a structured, trauma-focused intervention is warranted. See Section 3 of this toolkit for a list of evidence-based, trauma-informed models for children and youth in child welfare who have experienced a natural disaster.

• After initial contact is made and support and stabilization services have been provided (if necessary), begin gathering information about the needs of the child, youth, and families. Remember to discuss practical assistance with basic needs and supports, in addition to connection with social supports, information on coping with common reactions, and linkage to outside services if necessary. Psychological First Aid offers several guides, handouts, and resources for talking about coping and common reactions with children and youth (see Section 3). For additional tips for talking to children and youth about natural disasters, see the Put It Into Practice resources for this section. For discussion guides on talking with parents/caregivers of young children about several types of natural disasters in a variety of language, see the Trinka and Sam books developed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.

• Maintain weekly or biweekly contact with children, youth, and families in the weeks and months following a natural disaster and provide information on common reactions and supports. Ensure that children and youth have a way to get in touch with you in a timely manner.

• When in-person contact is not possible, it is essential to identify alternative ways to connect with children and youth and to help them establish and maintain contact with others in their support network, including through the use of technology (e.g., telephone, text messaging, virtual meetings, WhatsApp).

• Tailor strategies to the child’s age and developmental stage. For young children, case planning and implementation requires close contact with their primary caregivers. Ensure that older children, adolescents, and transition-age youth have contact with peers, siblings, caring adults, and/or other social supports.

• Actively monitor the well-being, strengths, and needs of children, youth, and their parents/caregivers. Screen children and youth for disaster-related and other trauma symptoms using a valid, reliable, and developmentally- and culturally- sensitive tool (e.g., UCLA Brief COVID-19 Screen for Child/Adolescent PTSD; Child PTSD Symptom Scale, Young Child PTSD Screener; SAMHSA Child/Youth and Adult Assessment and Referral Tools).

• Conduct developmental screenings of children and youth to identify their strengths and needs and to inform effective intervention.

• For children and youth experiencing moderate levels of distress in the weeks following a natural disaster, consider using a short-term, evidence-based model to promote coping with natural disasters, such as Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR). See Section 3 of this toolkit for more information on SPR.

• For children and youth experiencing severe distress or who have not shown improvement six weeks after a natural disaster, refer them for formal evidence-based, trauma-informed treatment. For a list of evidence-based treatments that have been used with youth in child welfare and/or in response to natural disasters, see Section 3 of this toolkit.

• Learn about the signs of secondary and vicarious trauma and monitor yourself for these signs during and after a natural disaster. Try using a standardized tool to check your reactions (e.g., PROQoL; Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale).

• Use strategies and activities to prevent or reduce trauma symptoms, such as relaxation (e.g., deep breathing, visual imagery), engaging in enjoyable activities or socialization, and processing and expressing feelings (e.g., through journaling, art, music). If symptoms persist, talk to your supervisor, colleagues, or employee assistance to obtain additional support and consider reaching out to a mental health provider.