Disaster Behavioral Health for All Americans:

Materials in Languages Other Than English

The United States has always been culturally rich and diverse, and our diversity is expected to grow. According to the Census Bureau, more than 38 percent of the U.S. population is something other than non-Hispanic/Latino white—and by 2044,over half of all Americans [PDF – 1.1 MB] will answer to this description. Our racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity is reflected in the many languages spoken in the United States—as of 2011 [PDF – 1.4 MB] , more than 1 in 5 people in the United States spoke a language other than English at home, and more than 300 languages were spoken in the United States.

In light of this broad range of languages and cultures in the United States, it's crucial to be able to provide materials and support during and after disasters in languages other than English. The SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC) has rounded up resources you can use for disaster behavioral health preparedness and response for non-English-speaking communities.

Tip Sheets in Spanish

SAMHSA DTAC offers products in Spanish. Most recently, we released these tip sheets:

Cómo cuidar de su salud conductual: consejos para lidiar con medidas de precaución durante un brote de una enfermedad contagiosa; distanciamiento social, cuarentena y aislamiento (Taking Care of Your Behavioral Health: Tips for Social Distancing, Quarantine, and Isolation During an Infectious Disease Outbreak) defines social distancing, quarantine, and isolation. It identifies common reactions to these experiences, suggests ways to cope, and notes when people may need additional help with their reactions.
Cómo hacer frente a una emergencia en la que es necesario refugiarse en sitio (How To Cope With Sheltering in Place) explains reactions people often feel when sheltering in place and suggests ways to care for oneself and the family, such as making a plan and staying connected.
Consejos sobre cómo hablar con los niños: Consejos para los cuidadores, padres y maestros durante un brote de una enfermedad contagiosa (Talking With Children: Tips for Caregivers, Parents, and Teachers During Infectious Disease Outbreaks) equips parents, caregivers, and teachers with tips for helping children manage their stress during an infectious disease outbreak. It explains reactions that children, from preschool to adolescence, may have and the support adults can provide to help them.
Consejos para socorristas: cómo prevenir y manejar el estrés (Tips for Disaster Responders: Preventing and Managing Stress) suggests disaster responders develop stress management skills before a disaster actually occurs, to help themselves cope with deployment. It then presents tips for before, during, and after disaster response, as well as the signs for when disaster responders may need additional support.
Consejos para el personal de respuesta a desastres: regreso al trabajo (Tips for Disaster Responders: Returning to Work) offers general stress management tips and lists common issues for disaster responders as they return to work after a response assignment, as well as ways to address these issues.

Tip Sheets in Punjabi

In response to a 2012 shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, SAMHSA DTAC developed Punjabi-language versions of three tip sheets:

How To Deal With Grief explains how grief is different from depression and lists organizations, websites, and online support groups people can follow up with if they are having trouble with grief.
Tips for Survivors of a Traumatic Event: Managing Your Stress provides common reactions to traumatic events, stress management tips, and helpful resources for behavioral health support.
Tips for Talking to Children and Youth After Traumatic Events: A Guide for Parents and Educators describes common reactions to traumatic events in children and youth of different age ranges. It suggests ways for adults to provide support for children and youth and notes when children and youth may need behavioral health support.

Languages Other Than English DBHIS Installment
Part of the SAMHSA DTAC Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series (DBHIS), this collection of resources includes fact sheets, brochures, websites, handbooks, and articles on a range of topics related to disaster in 12 languages other than English.