Disaster Preparedness, Response, Recovery, and Mitigation

Learn about SAMHSA's Trauma and Disaster Behavioral Health programs.

What is Disaster Behavioral Health (DBH)?

SAMHSA defines disaster behavioral health (DBH) as the understanding and provision of mental, emotional, and substance use services and interventions for persons and communities impacted by disasters. DBH encompasses the delivery of behavioral health and stress management interventions to address and promote mental health, reduce substance misuse, and foster resilience and recovery.

Please email SAMHSA-DBH@samhsa.hhs.gov for DBH related questions.

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SAMHSA provides disaster behavioral health (DBH) expertise and coordination that supports state, local, tribal, territorial, federal partners, and other stakeholders (e.g., communities, non-governmental organizations) as they prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the behavioral health effects of a range of hazards from weather-related or environmental disasters to public health, extreme heat, and other climate-related emergencies.

SAMHSA supports disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation of disasters focused on resilience building through each component.

SAMHSA facilitates growing knowledge in fields of trauma and DBH and wider topics such as the interaction between social determinants of health and disaster resilience, through the following:

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• Partnering with governmental and non-governmental partners to support integration of DBH across all aspects of disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery;
• Facilitating inclusion of at-risk populations such as people with chronic behavioral health conditions in all aspects of disaster and emergency management planning;
• Supporting disaster preparedness across all areas of behavioral health care infrastructure;
• Managing disaster-specific discretionary funding provided through Congress for large scale disaster events (e.g. September 11 Terrorist Attacks, Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Maria);
• Liaising with emergency management agencies to support operational awareness of behavioral health prevention, treatment, and recovery resources across all phases of disasters;
• Fostering learning and growth in fields of DBH through a range of topic areas, including understanding the broader effects of climate, emerging and evidence-based practices in trauma, and trauma-informed services;
• Coordinating intra/inter-agency capabilities with government and non-governmental partners, including planning for, and coordinating during disaster response, recovery, mitigation, and preparedness; and
• Developing, implementing, and maintaining the SAMHSA Concept of Operations (CONOPs) that address most emergent scenarios.

SAMHSA Emergency Response Grants

A SAMHSA-wide grant opportunity, inclusive of mental health and substance use prevention, response, and recovery services, that authorizes SAMHSA to act immediately under emergency circumstances that create a behavioral health crisis, where the crisis overwhelms the behavioral health system or creates behavioral health service needs that do not fit existing behavioral health resources.

Learn more about SERG

Types of Disasters

Natural and human-caused disasters affect thousands of people each year. These major adverse events have the potential to cause catastrophic loss of life and physical destruction. They are often unexpected and can leave whole communities in shock.

Incidents of Mass Violence

[ ## Memorial Dates and Activating Events The memorial date of a disaster or tragic event can renew feelings of fear, anxiety, and sadness in disaster survivors.

](https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/disaster-preparedness/disaster-types/memorial-dates)

[ ## At-risk Populations Trauma has no boundaries regarding age, gender, race, or socioeconomic status. Learn more about those who are at higher risk of experiencing trauma-related emotional distress.

](https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/disaster-preparedness/at-risk-populations)

[ ## Warning Signs of Distress Traumatic events and disasters can have a devastating impact on people’s lives. Learn about the warning signs of emotional distress.

](https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/disaster-preparedness/warning-signs)

[ ## Coping Tips People can experience a wide range of emotions before and after a disaster or traumatic event. It’s important to find healthy ways to cope when these events happen.

](https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/disaster-preparedness/coping-tips)

[ ## What is Trauma? SAMHSA describes individual trauma as an event or circumstance resulting in: physical harm, emotional harm, and/or life-threatening harm.

](https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/trauma-violence)

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