
Our hearts are with Western NC after the devastation of Hurricane Helene. Our team created a list of resources specifically for schools, educators, students, and families.
Supporting Students and Families in the Aftermath of a Natural Disaster
We know that each school district has its own resources and crisis teams to help after a natural disaster. However, we also want to offer our support if you need additional assistance. Please contact Elizabeth DeKonty (edekonty@ncforum.org) or the staff member who serves your district if we can help in any way.
Below, we have gathered some tips and resources to aid in communicating with and supporting students and families as they return to school after the recent hurricane devastation.
Resources for addressing basic needs
The first priority is to ensure immediate safety and address the basic needs of students and families.
- WNC HELENE RESOURCE GUIDE is a live document that is regularly updated with the most current information and includes a list of resources available by county. The managers of this resource guide also have a Facebook Page that they regularly update with information and updates as they become available.
- Hurricane Helene Resources for NC families
- Open Shelters | Ready NC
- To find or apply for assistance, visit disasterassistance.gov
- For mental health counseling: Call or text 1-800-985-5990. This toll-free, multilingual, crisis support service is available 24/7 to all residents in the U.S. and its territories who are experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.
- If you are impacted by Hurricane Helene and need help, call or text The Disability and Disaster Hotline at 800-626-4959 or hotline@disasterstrategies.org
- For NC Medicaid flexibilities (including CAP/C and CAP/ DA) to ensure patients can receive medications, medically necessary services, etc.: NC Medicaid Temporary Flexibilities Due to Hurricane Helene
- Supporting Recovery for Western North Carolina in the Wake of Hurricane Helene
- To find fuel/gas, visit gasbuddy.com or download the app.
- For shelter locations, visit redcross.org or call 888-892-1162.
Strategies to Establish Emotional Support and Safety
As staff and students return to school, many will need extra support to cope with the stress and trauma that follow a natural disaster. Here are a few initial priorities to establish emotional support and safety for students, families, and staff:
- Stability and order: In the aftermath of chaos and danger, students need as much structure and predictability as possible to rebuild their sense of safety. They need to know that someone is in charge, has a plan for moving forward, and will take care of them.
- Provide a consistent schedule, clear expectations, and a roadmap for the next few days, weeks, or months.
- Give updates before any changes, with time to prepare for and adjust to changes if possible.
- Community: Connection to others and the feeling of coming together to support one another will promote feelings of safety and empowerment, particularly when coupled with concrete actions to move forward (below).
- Hold Morning Meetings to help with reconnection and provide time to settle into the school day.
- Provide options for togetherness so staff and students can choose what is best for THEM.
- Space to talk about their experiences during and after the storm
- Art/craft activities
- Sports, games, or other physical activities
- For adults – educators, parents and community members – consider joining a virtual Listening Circle hosted by Resource for Resilience. These sessions will be hosted each day from 12:00 – 1:00 PM virtually, including weekends, at least through October 18th. These can help community members connect and support one another during difficult times. These one-hour sessions offer participants a chance to practice tools designed to help us all feel better in times of stress. Contact Cat Parker at cat.parker@resourcesforresilience.com to learn more.
- Consider group volunteer projects and opportunities, particularly as ways to support their own schools or communities. Visit nvoad.org for some ideas or for a more local connection, visit the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County: https://www.unitedwayabc.org/.
- Concrete actions: Help students and families identify clear and concrete tasks to take small steps forward. When needs are overwhelming, help them break down tasks into small, manageable steps. Cooking, cleaning, caring for others, organizing materials, etc. can all help students and families to focus on immediate goals and regain control.
- Information on stress reactions and coping skills: The handouts below provide specific information for helping children following natural disasters, by age of the child and in both English and Spanish.
- Tips for School Staff: Large-Scale Natural Disasters: Helping Children Cope
- Parent Tips for Helping Infants and Toddlers: in English or Spanish
- Parent Tips for Helping Preschoolers: in English or Spanish
- Parent Tips for Helping School-Age Children: in English or Spanish
- Parent Tips for Helping Adolescents: in English or Spanish
- Information and connection to services: Help families identify the community services available to assist them in the coming days or months, both for emotional and practical needs.
Interventions Schools Can Provide to Promote Coping and Recovery.
- Psychological First Aid and Skills for Psychological Recovery are great resources created by the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCTSN) to promote coping skills and healing in the aftermath of a major natural disaster.
Psychological First Aid Resources:
- A downloadable manual for Psychological First Aid (English) or Primeros Auxilios Psicológicos (Español)
- PFA Mobile App
- Staff members can be trained to deliver Psychological First Aid by completing a 5-hour online training.
- Appendix A: Recommendations for School Staff
- 10 Tips for Implementing the Psychological First Aid Model in Schools
- Psychological First Aid (PFA) Wallet Card | The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- PFA-S: Provider Self-Care | The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- Providing Psychological First Aid: Principals and Administrators | The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Skills for Psychological Recovery Resources:
- A manual for teaching and supporting Skills for Psychological Recovery can be found here.
- Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS): As a more long-term healing and recovery intervention, CBITs can be used with students in grades 5–12 who have witnessed or experienced traumatic life events such as community and school violence, accidents, and injuries, physical abuse and domestic violence, and natural and human-made disasters. It was a key intervention deployed in schools following Hurricane Katrina. Learn More – CBITS – Center for Safe & Resilient Schools and Workplaces
- For students in grades K-5, an adaptation called Bounce Back is available.
Other resources on how to support children in the wake of a natural disaster:
- 10 Tips to Consider when talking to children about natural disasters
- After the Hurricane: Helping Young Children Heal | The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- Supporting Children and Youth Displaced by Disasters: Five Key Policies for Schools
- The Friendship Bench | Centre for Global Mental Health
- Relocating to a New School: Tips for Families
Related resources for schools:
- Coping in Hard Times: Fact Sheet for School Staff | The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- Strategies for Trauma-Informed Distance Learning
- What School District Administrators Should Know About the Educational Rights of Children and Youth Displaced by Disasters
- Staff Listening Circles Model by Resilience and Learning
