After a disaster or major incident, it’s common to feel stress and grief and individuals, families and communities will respond and recover in different ways. Some people will recover without formal help, others may need extra support to help get life back on track or provide guidance and support for children, family members and friends.

Find out more about mental health information and support for you, your family and communities to help you plan what to do before, during and after a disaster.

Prepare for the mental health impacts of a disaster

Being prepared and having a plan can help people manage their emotions at the height of a major incident or disaster – just knowing where to go and what to do can make a difference. There are many strategies, resources and organisations that can provide information to help you prepare.

Some ways to plan can include:

  • knowing the potential risks for disasters occurring in the local area (such as bushfires, floods, extreme heat, industrial incidents) and contact the local council for information on local emergency management plans
  • attending local community forums that focus on preparing, responding and recovering from disasters
  • knowing what support services are available and how (and when) to access them
  • connecting with others in the local community and sharing plans with support networks to keep each other in the loop.

Consider some personal strategies for you, your loved ones and community, including:

  • thinking about how you or others might generally respond to high stress situations
  • knowing the early warning signs that tell you that you or others around you are not coping
  • knowing strategies that can help with managing your stress levels and wellbeing
  • thinking in advance about decisions that you might need to make and having a plan to assist in making decisions if a disaster happens

Supporting people who are more at risk

We are all more at risk at different points in our lives and we each have characteristics that help us to bounce back in times of crisis. There are also some population groups within the community who may be more at risk or who need extra support in some circumstances.

Children and young people

Referral pathways — Child and Adolescent Mental health Services (CAMHS)

For support, information and referral to other services if there are concerns about the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. See also CAMHS trauma information on the Women's and Children's Health Network website. 

Telephone: (08) 8161 7198
Website:  www.wch.sa.gov.au

Helpful resources for children and young people

Resources to help you prepare

Older people

  • encourage older people to discuss their plans and support needs with family and friends, and with organisations they may already receiving support from
  • link with other agencies that may be involved in supporting older people, including:
    • Home Care Package providers
    • Meals on Wheels
    • Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS)
    • Red Cross.

Aboriginal people

Referral pathways — National Indigenous Critical Response Service

The National Indigenous Critical Response Service has been funded by the Commonwealth Government to:

  • provide a critical response to support individuals, families and communities affected by traumatic events (including suicide) that is culturally responsive to their needs
  • strengthen community capacity and resilience where there have been high levels of trauma
  • better understand and respond to critical incidents and strengthen service collaboration
  • provide advocacy on behalf of families to ensure they are able to access the supports they need

Critical Response Support Advocate call 1800 805 801. The 1800 805 801 number is available 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Referral pathways — Aboriginal Health Services

Referrals for Social and Emotional Wellbeing support provided by Aboriginal Health Services can be made by arranging an appointment with the health clinic. Contact the relevant Aboriginal Health Service for more information.

Helpful resources for Aboriginal people

Culturally and linguistically diverse communities

Communication is an important part of keeping communities connected and informed. Making sure that people with diverse language and cultural needs have access to information and supports can help to reduce risks and help with recovery. There are potential barriers to consider, including:

  • access to information on relief and recovery arrangements may be limited due to language and/or cultural differences
  • access to support services may be limited by language and/or cultural differences
  • people who have recently arrived in Australia may be living in an unfamiliar environment and be unaware of risks in the area such as flooding or bushfires
  • previous trauma experiences
  • potential separations from family, friends, community leaders or other support networks they would normally connect with.

Find out more about SA Translation Services.

Gender

Gender issues are known to compound the effects that disasters have on people. Increased awareness of gender and disaster will improve the health and wellbeing of women and men affected by disaster across Australia. See the Gender and Disaster Pod website for more information.

Disability

During and after an emergency, people with disabilities my need extra help to understand, communicate and recover. Find resources for people with a disability, their families and carers on the SA Recovery portal.

For more information see the following websites: