There is little empirical research existing in the areas of natural disaster's effects on children's mental health. Therefore, the purpose of this study was twofold. First, it examined the effectiveness of the Oklahoma State University Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (OSU-PTSD) Screening Scale after two different types of natural disasters. The…

Within the last decade, the role of the school psychologist has been changing as a result of the impact of disasters and increasing violence in schools and communities. This workshop was designed to help school psychologists prepare for and intervene in disasters in their school communities. The goals were: (1) to encourage school psychologists to…

Presents some guidelines for art activities that teachers can use to help their students work through their feelings following a natural disaster. Includes some personal observations of art expressions created after a tornado struck. Explains how art produced by students in response to catastrophe seemed to fall into three major categories:…

An interview with a specialist in childhood trauma examines such issues as what childhood trauma is, what signs teachers should be on the alert for, what traumatized children have in common, how long the effects of trauma last, when psychiatric help is necessary, and how teachers can help. (SM)

This revised non-regulatory guidance for the McKinney-Vento program, which replaces the March 2003 guidance, includes new questions that address the following issues: whether children awaiting foster care placement are eligible for McKinney-Vento services (Item G-10); if children displaced from their homes by a natural disaster are eligible for…

This paper and accompanying workshop address the changing and expanding role of school psychologists resulting from disasters and increasing violence in schools and communities. The objectives of this workshop were: to encourage school psychologists to expand their roles to include crisis intervention as an essential part of their service…

Major natural and human-caused disasters deeply affect children, and they have a special vulnerability to such events. The importance of providing crisis counseling recovery assistance within the context of their special world cannot be over emphasized. The information in this manual provides both theory and guidance to individuals concerned with…

Hurricane Katrina resulted in a disaster of proportions not previously known in the United States. The traumatic experiences of children and families during Hurricane Katrina, the flooding that resulted from the breach of the levees, the evacuation, and the aftermath are unprecedented. In responding to the enormous mental health needs of children…

We examined relations among stress, children's recall, and psychological functioning following Hurricane Andrew. Thirty-five children from mixed socioeconomic backgrounds were divided into low-, moderate-, and high-stress groups and were interviewed about the hurricane immediately after the storm and 6 years later. Our primary interest, stemming…

This National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) resource guide on emergency management research and people with disabilities provides a listing and description of research projects funded by the federal government and nonfederal entities, research recommendations that have come out of conferences on emergency management…

This paper contains an outline of a workshop designed for the disaster mental health worker. The goal of the workshop is to describe how disaster services are different from other mental health services and to provide suggestions on how to make these services more effective. The types of disasters, the anatomy of a disaster, and time phases of a…

Background: Child survivors of a catastrophic earthquake in Turkey were evaluated three and a half years after the event, and three years after a sub-group participated in a teacher-mediated intervention developed by the authors. The goal of this follow-up study was to determine the long-term effectiveness of the original intervention. Methods:…

The terror and severe stress most children feel after a disaster such as an earthquake or bombing manifest themselves in a number of ways. This book provides a tool for parents and others responsible for children's well-being to prepare for a disaster experience. The book's introductory chapter examines the nature of disasters--natural and…