In response to the devastating wildfires in Southern California, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Committee on Psychiatric Dimensions of Disaster offers the following list of resources for mental health clinicians. These resources are fully vetted by physicians and are free to all who may need them.

For Clinicians, Communities, First Responders and Families

The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress’s Southern California Wildfire response page features information and linked resources for families, responders, healthcare professionals, and community leaders that are brief and easy to use. They list actions to protect mental health, foster resilience, and promote sustainment during wildfires. Key downloads among their resources are:

• A pocket card covering the basics of Rapid Psychological First Aid (.pdf).
• A pocket card on Helping Others Calm an Acute Stress Response (.pdf), which can help in healthcare and non-health care settings.

APA’s resources for patients and families, Coping After Disaster, provides a basic overview of mental health after disasters. APA’s resources for psychiatrists on Disaster Mental Health include research, educational and volunteer opportunities, fact sheets and more.

Medical Resources for Clinicians

The 2023 VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines: Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder is the most current practice guideline in this area. An overview is provided in the Clinical Summary (.pdf). One key highlight for psychiatrists to note is that group interventions after mass trauma are generally not recommended, particularly for expressing emotions (psychological debriefing). More details are available in the guidelines.

APA offers a free Disaster and Preventive Psychiatry online interactive training (with CME) designed for psychiatrists and other mental health and health care clinicians. Disaster and Preventive Psychiatry: Protecting Health and Fostering Community Resilience, released in May 2023, addresses the full spectrum of public mental health impact, risk, and actions to protect mental health and foster community resilience. The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress’s Curriculum Recommendations for Disaster Behavioral Health Professionals (.pdf) provides an outline of core topics of mental health in disasters and distills down useful and practical content. It is designed for developing education and training and informing policymakers and disaster planners/managers on best practices to protect mental health.

For immediate help

• Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990
• National Crisis Lifeline, call 988, text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org.
• Crisis Textline: Text TALK to 741741