Crisis Navigation Resources
For Educators | Students | Caregivers | Community MembersI NEED HELP NOW
Call or Text 988
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis
Call 911
If this is a medical emergency or if there is immediate danger of harm
Crisis Support:
988 Suicide/Crisis Lifeline
Chat Option
Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741
Veterans Crisis Line
Dial 988 then press 1
Text 838255
988 Safety and Support on Social Media
Suicide of Student or Staff Member
Response:
- After Suicide: A Toolkit (PDF)
- Guidelines for Schools Responding to a Death by Suicide (PDF)
- Guidelines for Responding to the Death of a Student or School Staff (PDF)
- Sample Letter Notification Templates
- After a School Tragedy: Readiness, Response, Recovery & Resources (PDF)
- Recovery from Large Scale Crisis: Guidelines for Crisis Teams and Administration
- School Crisis Guide
- Leading Through Crises
Prevention:
- Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for High Schools (PDF)
- Preventing Youth Suicide: Tips for Parents and Educators
- Suicide Prevention: The Role of the High School Teacher (PDF)
- CDC’s Suicide Prevention Technical Package (PDF)
Suicide Clusters:
Memorials:
- Memorials: Special Considerations When Memorializing an Incident (PDF)
- Memorials After a Suicide: Guidelines for Schools and Families
- Commemoration and Memorialization Module
- Commemoration and Memorialization Module Summary (PDF)
Supporting Staff:
Supporting Students:
- Returning to School After A Crisis: A Guide to Addressing Traumatic Events at School
- Suggestions for Educators: Helping Traumatized Children in School (PDF)
- Childhood Traumatic Grief: Information for School Personnel (PDF)
Self-Care:
- When Terrible Things Happen: For Students (PDF)
- Childhood Traumatic Grief: Youth Information Sheet (PDF)
- Draw your Feelings (PDF)
- Tips for Grieving Teens
- Suicide Prevention Resources for Students (PDF)
- What to Do if You are Worried About a Friend’s Safety (PDF)
- Save a Friend: Tips for Teens to Prevent Suicide
Talking With Your Children:
- Guiding Adults in Talking to Children About Death and Attending Services (PDF)
- Age Related Guide to Talking to Your Child about Suicide: Elementary Aged Children (PDF)
- Having a Conversation about Suicide with Your Child (PDF)
- What To Do If You Are Worried About Your Teen’s Mental Health: A Conversation Guide
Helping Children Cope:
- Supporting Students After the Suicide of a Classmate (PDF)
- Children, Teens and Suicide Loss (PDF)
- Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Traumatic Events
- Supporting Children Who Are Grieving a Death by Suicide
- A Guide for Taking Care of Your Family Member After Treatment in the Emergency Department (PDF)
Trauma/Grief Responses in Children:
Prevention:
- Preventing Youth Suicide: Tips for Parents and Educators
- Not my Kid: What Every Parent Should Know Series
- Teen Suicide Risk: What Parents Should Know
- Helping Your Loved One Who is Suicidal: A Guide for Family and Friends (PDF)
Self Care:
Response:
- Psychological First Aid for Schools: Field Operations Guide (PDF)
- Culturally Competent Crisis Response
- Treatment for Suicidal Ideation, Self-harm, Suicide Attempts Among Youth (PDF)
Prevention:
- Preventing Suicide: The Role of the High School Mental Health Professional (PDF)
- Prevention and Treatment of Anxiety, Depression, and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among College Students (PDF)
- TRAILS
- TRAILS Tier 3 Suicide Risk Management
Supporting Students:
- Coping After Suicide Loss
- Resources for Survivors of Suicide (PDF)
- Supporting Children Who Are Grieving a Death by Suicide
Self Care:
- American Association of Suicidology
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
- American Psychological Association
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Coalition to Support Grieving Students
- Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network
- National Alliance for Children’s Grief
- National Association of School Psychologists
- National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement
- National Center for School Safety
- National Education Association
- National Institute of Mental Health
- PBS Kids
- Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration SAMHSA
- Suicide Prevention Resource Center
- The Jed Foundation
- The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- TRAILS
- Wise
School Crisis
Response:
- Responding to a Mass Casualty Event at a School: General Guidance for the First Stage of Recovery
- Guidelines for Responding to the Death of a Student or School Staff
- Sample Letter Templates (Death of student, staff)
- Creating, Supporting and Sustaining Trauma-Informed Schools
- Providing Psychological First Aid: Principals and Administrators
- Creating Effective Child and Family Focused Disaster Behavioral Health Messages on Social Media
- School Crisis Guide
- The NASSP Principal Recovery Network Guide to Recovery
- Leading Through Crises
- Systematic Review: Post-Crisis Interventions
Supporting Students:
- Returning to School After A Crisis: A Guide to Addressing Traumatic Events at School
- Federal Resources for Helping Youth Cope after a School Shooting
- Childhood Traumatic Grief: Information for School Personnel
- Tips for Helping Students Recovering from Traumatic Events
- Talking to Children about Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers (English)
- Talking to Children about Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers (Spanish)
- Providing Psychological First Aid: Teachers
- Helping Youth After Community Trauma: Tips for Educators
- Suggestions for Educators: Helping a Traumatized Children in School
- Childhood Traumatic Grief: Information for School Personnel
Self Care:
Talking With Your Children:
- Talking to Children about Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers
- Talking to Children about Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers (Spanish)
- How Children Understand Death and What you Should Say
- Talking with Children about Tragic Events
- Guiding Adults in Talking to Children About Death and Attending Services
- Guidelines for Talking to Children about Terrorist Attacks and School and Community Shootings in the News
Trauma/Grief Responses in Children:
Helping Children Cope:
- After a Loved One Dies- How Children Grieve and Parents and other Adults Can Support Them
- Helping Young Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers
- Helping School-Age Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers
- Helping Teens with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers
- Tips for Survivors of a Disaster or other Traumatic Event: Managing Stress
- Helping Children Cope with Tragedy Related Anxiety
- Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Disasters and Other Traumatic Events
- Tips for Helping Students Recovering from Traumatic Events
- Helping Children Cope with Trauma
- How to Cope with Traumatic Events
- Childhood Grief: When to Seek Additional Help
- Helping Your Children Manage Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting
- Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Traumatic Events
Self-Care for Caregivers:
Supporting Students:
- Psychological First Aid for Schools: Field Operations Guide
- Childhood Traumatic Grief: Information for Mental Health Providers
- Tips for Helping Students Recovering from Traumatic Events
- Helping Children Cope with Trauma
- Skills for Psychological Recovery: Field Operations Guide (*must be administered by a mental health professional)
- Culturally Competent Crisis Response
Self-Care:
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- American Psychological Association
- Child Mind Institute
- Dougy Center
- Mental Health America
- National Association of School Psychologists
- National Association of of Sectionary School Principals
- National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement
- National Center for School Safety
- National Education Association
- National Institute of Mental Health
- New York Life Foundation
- PBS Kids
- Sesame Workshop
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration SAMHSA
- The Jed Foundation
- The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- U.S. Department of Education
- Wise
- Youth.gov
Community Crisis
- For Educators
- For Youth
- For Caregivers
- For Community Members
- For Mental Health Professionals
- Additional Resources
Response:
- Response Resource for Leaders
- Creating Effective Child and Family Focused Disaster Behavioral Health Messages on Social Media (PDF)
- Coping with a Disaster or Traumatic Event
- Recovery from Large Scale Crises: Guidelines for Crisis Teams and Administrators (PDF)
- Creating, Supporting and Sustaining Trauma-Informed Schools (PDF)
- Leading Through Crises
Supporting Staff:
- Compassion Resilience for School Leaders and Staff
- Coping After Mass Violence (PDF)
- Coping Tips for Traumatic Events and Disaster
Supporting Students:
- Returning to School After A Crisis: A Guide to Addressing Traumatic Events at School
- Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Disasters and Other Traumatic Events
- Tips for Talking to Children to Children about Hate Crimes (PDF)
- Talking to Children about Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers (English)
- Talking to Children about Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers (Spanish)
- Helping Youth After Community Trauma: Tips for Educators
- Teacher Guidelines for Helping Students After a Tornado (PDF)
- Teacher Guidelines for Helping Students after a Hurricane (PDF)
- Suggestions for Educators: Helping a Traumatized Children in School (PDF)
- Childhood Traumatic Grief: Information for School Personnel (PDF)
- How to Cope with Traumatic Events
- Tips for Helping Students Recovering from Traumatic Events (PDF)
Self Care:
- Understanding Compassion Fatigue (PDF)
- Compassion Resilience for School Leaders and Staff
- Coping Tips for Traumatic Events and Disaster
- Coping After Mass Violence
- Coping After a Disaster (PDF)
- When Terrible Things Happen: For Students (PDF)
- Taking Care of Yourself During and After a Disaster Crisis (PDF)
- Helping Kids Grieve: Feelings Journal Worksheet (PDF)
- Childhood Traumatic Grief: Youth Information Sheet (PDF)
- For Teens: Coping After Mass Violence (PDF)
- Draw your Feelings (PDF)
- How to Cope with Traumatic Events
Talking with Your Children:
- Talking to Children about Hate Crimes (PDF)
- Talking to Kids about Racism and Violence
- Talking to Kids about Discrimination
- Tips for Talking with Children about Hate Crimes (PDF)
- Talking to Children about Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers (English) (PDF)
- Talking to Children about Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers (Spanish) (PDF)
- Tips for Talking With and Helping Children and Youth Cope After a Disaster or Traumatic Event: A Guide for Parents, Caregivers and Teachers(PDF)
- Guiding Adults in Talking to Children About Death and Attending Services (PDF)
- How Children Understand Death and What you Should Say
- Talking with Children about Tragic Events
- Guidelines for Talking to Children about Terrorist Attacks and School and Community Shootings in the News (PDF)
Trauma/Grief Responses in Children:
Helping Children Cope:
- Helping Your Child Cope with Media Coverage of Disasters (PDF)
- An Activity Book for African American Families: Helping Children Cope with Crisis (PDF)
- Tips for Survivors: Coping with Grief After Community Violence (PDF)
- Helping Young Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers (PDF)
- Helping School-Age Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers
- Helping Teens with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers (PDF)
- Childhood Grief: When to Seek Additional Help
- Here for Each other Family Guide (PDF)
- Tips for Survivors of a Disaster or other Traumatic Event: Managing Stress (PDF)
- Helping Your Children Manage Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting
- How Families can Cope with Relocation Stress After a Disaster
- Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Disasters and Other Traumatic Events (PDF)
- Tips for Helping Students Recovering from Traumatic Events (PDF)
- Helping Children Cope with Trauma
- How to Cope with Traumatic Events
- Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Traumatic Events (PDF)
Self Care:
- Understanding Compassion Fatigue
- Tips for Survivors: Coping with Anger After a Disaster or Other Traumatic Event
- Tips for Survivors of a Disaster or Other Traumatic Event: Coping with Retraumatization (English, Spanish)
- Tips for Survivors of a Pandemic: Managing Stress (English, Spanish)
- Tips for Survivors of a Disaster or Traumatic Event: What to Expect in Your Personal, Family, Work, and Financial Life
- Creating Community Connections for Mental Health
- Coping with a Disaster or Traumatic Event
- Childhood Traumatic Grief: Information for Mental Health Providers (PDF)
- Tips for Helping Students Recovering from Traumatic Events (PDF)
- Skills for Psychological Recovery: Field Operations Guide (must be administered by a mental health professional) (PDF)
- Culturally Competent Crisis Response
- Compassion Resilience for School Leaders and Staff
- Understanding Compassion Fatigue (PDF)
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- American Psychological Association
- Anti-Defamation League
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Child Mind Institute
- Dougy Center
- National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement
- National Center for School Safety
- National Association of School Psychologists
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute of Mental Health
- National Mass Violence Victimization Resource Center
- PBS Kids
- Sesame Workshop
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration SAMHSA
- The Jed Foundation
- The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- Wise
- U.S. Department of Education
Death of Student or Staff
Response:
- Guidelines for Responding to the Death of a Student or School Staff (PDF)
- Sample Letter Templates
- After a Student has Died- Communicating with the Family (PDF)
- Leading Through Crises
Memorials:
- PREPaRE Memorials- Special Considerations When Memorializing an Incident (PDF)
- Commemoration and Memorialization Module
- Commemoration and Memorialization Module Summary (PDF)
Supporting Staff:
Supporting Students:
- Returning to School After A Crisis: A Guide to Addressing Traumatic Events at School
- Addressing Grief: Tips for Teachers and Administrators
- Childhood Traumatic Grief: Information for School Personnel (PDF)
- Supporting Students After a Loss (PDF)
- Talking with Children- Modules for Conversation about Loss with Children
- Death and School Crisis Module
- Death and School Crisis Module Summary (PDF)
- Grief Triggers
- Grief Triggers Module Summary (PDF)
- Childhood Traumatic Grief: Information for School Personnel (PDF)
Self Care:
- Understanding Compassion Fatigue (PDF)
- Professional Self Care Module
- Professional Self Care Module Summary (PDF)
Talking with Your Children:
- After a Loved One Dies- How Children Grieve and Parents and other Adults Can Support Them (PDF)
- Guiding Adults in Talking to Children About Death and Attending Services (PDF)
Helping Children Cope:
Self Care:
- Coalition to Support Grieving Students
- Dougy Center
- National Association of School Psychologists
- National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement
- National Center for School Safety
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration SAMHSA
- Sesame Workshop
- The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- New York Life Foundation
- Wise
Ongoing Grief: 1+ Year Post Crisis
- Anniversaries of Traumatic Events: Guidance for Educators (PDF available)
- Recovery From Large-Scale Crises: Guidelines for Crisis Teams and Administration (PDF available)
- School Crisis Guide Part Four: Recover
- Grief Reactions, or Module Summary (PDF)
Memorialization Resources:
- Commemoration and Memorialization Module
- Commemoration and Memorialization Summary (PDF)
- Memorials: Special Considerations When Memorializing an Incident
Related to Suicide Loss Survivors:
- How to Handle Anxiety Around Mass Shootings and Going Back to School
- What to do if You’re Feeling Hopeless or Thinking About Suicide
- How to Follow Your Instincts When You’re Worried about a Friend
- How to Tell Your Parents and Caregivers You’re Struggling
- How to Deal with Grief and Loss
- Tips for Grieving Teens
For Educators:
- Resources for Parents, Educators & Communities
- Internet Safety
- Child Sex Trafficking Overview
- Human Trafficking 101 for School Administrators and Staff
For Youth:
- Missing-Child, Emergency-Response, Quick Reference Guide for Families
- Finding a Missing Loved One
- A Child is Missing: Providing Support for Children and Families of Missing Children
- When a Loved One Goes Missing: Resources for Families of Missing American Indian and Alaska Native Adults
- Emotional Help for Families
- What Ambiguous Loss Is and How to Cope With It
- Internet Safety
- Child Sex Trafficking Overview
- How to Talk to Youth About Human Trafficking: A Guide for Youth Caretakers and Individuals Working with Youth
- Talk to Your Kids About Sextortion
For Community Members
For Mental Health Professionals
Get Help For Exploitation:
- Sextortion Victim Resources
- Sextortion: How We Can Help You
- Stop Sextortion
- Take it Down
- Crisis Text Line
- 988
Additional Resources:
- Blue Campaign: Department of Homeland Security
- Crisis Text Line
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program
- Missing People
- National Alliance on Mental Illness
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
- Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
- Take It Down
- THORN
- U.S. Department of Justice
- 988
For Educators:
- LGBTQ+ Youth Resources | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health
- How to Improve School Experiences for LGBTQ+ Youth
- Confronting Anti-LGBTQI+ Harassment in Schools
For Youth:
- LGBTQ+ Youth Resources | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health
- Resources for LGBTQI+ Students
For Caregivers:
For Mental Health Providers:
- LGBTQ+ Youth Resources | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health
- Resources for LGBTQI+ Students
- A Practitioner’s Resource Guide: Helping Families to Support Their LGBT Children
Additional Resources:
This section provides resources for Alaska Native, Indigenous, and Tribal Youth Communities
For Educators:
For Youth:
For Caregivers:
- Youth and Family Webinars
- When a Loved One Goes Missing: Resources for Families of Missing American Indian and Alaska Native Adults
For Mental Health Providers;
- Youth and Family Webinars
- Suicide Prevention
- When a Loved One Goes Missing: Resources for Families of Missing American Indian and Alaska Native Adults
Additional Resources: