A Toolkit for Juvenile Justice Agencies to Help Young People Heal and Thrive During and After Natural Disasters

Juvenile justice administrators should establish natural disaster-specific plans and policies that align with trauma-informed care and prioritize the emotional and physical well-being of youth.

• Ensure that natural disaster planning includes specific information about how to address youth and staff emotional well-being and trauma. Consider establishing memorandums of understanding with mental health agencies to assist in resource sharing and recovery.

• Develop partnerships with community agencies, organizations that tailor resources to specific populations (e.g., youth who are immigrants or from families of immigrants, LGBTQ+ youth), and religious organizations for assisting families with basic needs (e.g., clothing, food pantries).

• Engage in formal partnerships with local emergency response and community agencies to ensure the juvenile justice agency and system is included in community preparedness.

• Share comprehensive disaster plans widely within and outside the juvenile justice agency to ensure all stakeholders have access to natural disaster response information. Practice disaster plan implementation regularly with staff, including drills and evaluations of the drills (e.g., identifying lessons learned, amending plan as needed). Sharing and practicing disaster plans in advance of a natural disaster helps agencies collaborate and implement plans more effectively when the disaster does occur.

• Provide training and staff development on how to effectively implement the disaster plan. Consider cross-agency trainings involving all individuals who may interact with youth during a natural disaster to promote relationship-building and collaboration, including parents/caregivers; community members; and child welfare, mental health, first responders, schools, and emergency personnel.

Juvenile justice supervisors and staff should work together with families to draft emergency plans before a natural disaster occurs and ensure the plan aligns with a trauma-informed approach and prioritizes the emotional well-being of youth.

• Partner with children, youth, and families to develop a preparedness, safety, and communication plan and encourage families to practice it regularly. The plan should include measures for ensuring physical safety when a disaster occurs (e.g., shelter in place, escape routes), tailored to the type(s) of disaster that occur in the local area. The plan should also address what to do when children are at home and school. Include plans for communication in the event that the child or youth becomes separated from their parent/caregiver(s) during the disaster, including easily accessible contact information for family members, caseworkers, therapists, and other supports. Identify alternative, safe placement in the event of evacuation. Review and practice the plan every few months, particularly with youth who may experience changes in placement or who may be transitioning out of care. For a sample family preparedness, safety, and communication plan, download the NCTSN family preparedness plan and wallet card.

• Assist families and facility staff to identify reliable sources of information about natural disasters (e.g., website, radio, emergency lines). Encourage parents/caregivers and staff to give youth factual information about the natural disaster in simple, developmentally appropriate terms. Share apps with parents and caregivers for ideas on talking with youth about natural disasters (e.g., Help Kids Cope app, Bounce Back Now app).

• Assemble an emergency supply kit and plans for meeting basic needs. Youth should have access to enough water, food, and other emergency supplies for at least 3 days and secure access to medications for at least 7 days. Help children, youth, and their caregivers identify resources for basic needs after emergency supplies have been used, including whom to call for support. For a list of resources and templates for family emergency planning, go to https://www.ready.gov.

Juvenile justice administrators should implement or enhance comprehensive, agency-wide, and system-wide policies, procedures, and infrastructure that are trauma-informed and that prioritize the emotional and physical well-being of youth.

• Include trauma-informed principles and language in agency-wide policies and procedures, identifying exposure to natural disaster as a type of adversity that can lead to trauma.

• Conduct an organizational self-assessment for trauma-informed organizations. To get started, see the Put It Into Practice #4 resource.

• Implement agency- and system-wide training using an evidence- and trauma-informed curriculum tailored for justice-involved youth (e.g., National Child Traumatic Stress Network Think Trauma, Sanctuary Model).

• Develop strong partnerships with mental health providers and related community organizations, as well as a system for referrals and follow-up. See Section 3 of this toolkit for a list of evidence-informed trauma and mental health interventions for youth involved in juvenile justice.

• Conduct universal screening using a valid, reliable, and age-appropriate and culturally-sensitive universal screening tool to identify types of adversity exposure and symptoms of trauma in response to a natural disaster (e.g., UCLA Brief COVID-19 Screen for Child/Adolescent PTSD; Child PTSD Symptom Scale). Screening for adversity and trauma should be conducted as one component of a comprehensive, developmentally sensitive approach to assessing strengths and needs, including resilience and protective factors (e.g., PACEs Questionnaire).

Supervisors and staff should seek out and participate in trauma-informed and natural disaster-specific training and professional development to learn about practices that promote social and emotional well-being and positive development and behavior among youth who have experienced trauma.

• Engage in comprehensive training and professional development opportunities in trauma-informed practices applicable for juvenile justice supervisors and staff (e.g., NCTSN Think Trauma, Sanctuary Model).

• Complete training in evidence-informed, trauma-focused models for natural disaster preparedness and response, such as Psychological First Aid (PFA).

• Become familiar with evidence-based treatments and supports for youth experiencing trauma; develop relationships with providers, community agencies, and schools that offer these types of services and supports; and make appropriate referrals to support the emotional well-being of children and youth. For a list of these approaches, see Section 3 of this toolkit and reference intervention registries such as the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare or Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development, to obtain specific information on types of interventions, their level of evidence, for whom interventions were designed, and eligibility for federal reimbursement.

Juvenile justice administrators should ensure that natural disaster policies and procedures that incorporate anti-racist, anti-oppression guidance address the needs of youth who are disproportionately impacted by natural disasters and other adversities and/or who are overrepresented in the juvenile system, including Black, Latinx, American Indian, Alaska Native, and LGBTQ+ youth.

• Create a senior management position dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion at the organizational level and ensure the individual in this position participates in natural disaster preparedness and response planning.

• Actively partner with the youth and families (e.g., through focus groups, committees, or other approaches) to develop language, review and assess outcome information on disparate impact, and utilize equity-focused resources to guide disaster response planning. Ensure you partner with groups who are overrepresented in juvenile justice.

• Incorporate anti-racist and anti-discrimination policies and procedures within disaster plans and policies to reduce inequities in the juvenile justice system using a systematic approach, such as a racial equity impact analysis (REIA). Establish a policy review team to conduct the REIA of disaster plans and policies, ensuring representation of impacted groups on the team.

• Incorporate LGBTQ+ responsive language and approaches in disaster plans and policies and explicitly outline strategies for staff to affirm LGBTQ+ identities and strengths during a natural disaster. Ensure supports are applicable to both families of choice and families of origin for LGBTQ+ youth.

Supervisors and staff should engage in professional development and practices that are anti-racist and anti-oppressive, and that address disproportionality of representation in the juvenile justice system.

• Seek out and participate in training and professional development on racial diversity, equity, and inclusion, particularly regarding disproportionality in the juvenile justice system. The California Evidence Based Clearinghouse has rated several models on their evidence for reducing disproportionality (e.g., Family Assessment Response, Preliminary Protective Hearing Benchcard)—become familiar with these models and their practices.

• Seek out and participate in training on the needs of LGBTQ+ youth,, using formalized resources and models. Use identity affirming language when working with youth, ensure that resources are LGBTQ+ focused and affirming, and identify LGBTQ+-affirming referrals for outside services.

• For youth who are institutionalized, do not use solitary confinement to separate LGBTQ+ youth from the rest of the population or in an attempt to protect them from harassment and abuse, as solitary confinement can be detrimental to youths’ mental health and isolation may not actually improve safety.

• Talk and raise awareness about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Explicitly ask staff about discrimination and racism they have experienced and seek ways to address and prevent future harm. Engage in meaningful conversations with supervisors and colleagues about racial and ethnic diversity in the workforce. These discussions should be intentional and semi-structured. Group discussions should be moderated by a leader with expertise in diversity, equity, and inclusion and should follow best practices for discussing these topics.

Juvenile justice administrators should establish staff protocols for maintaining regular contact with youth during and after a natural disaster occurs.<br /><br />

• Establish formal protocols for frequent and ongoing contact with youth and families during and after a natural disaster occurs to monitor their physical and emotional risk, safety, and well-being and to keep them informed about the disaster and available resources while following safety guidelines.

• Build agency capacity for a seamless transition to virtual contact, visits, and services (e.g., telehealth) before a natural disaster occurs and continuously monitor opportunities for emergency and grant funding for technology supports.

• Develop electronic and printable resource libraries for staff to quickly access and provide information to youth and their parents/caregivers on natural disasters, their effects, and approaches to addressing physical and emotional needs of youth.

Juvenile justice supervisors and staff should partner with youth and families to establish communication plans in the event of a natural disaster and review the plans regularly.<br /><br />

• Incorporate natural disaster communication plans into regular goal setting and service planning with youth and families, including contingency plans for when in-person contact is unavailable, methods for getting in touch with loved ones within and outside the home or residential setting, and alternative emergency contacts and supports when electronic communication may be limited.

• Review the natural disaster communication plan regularly or any time a placement change or other major transition occurs.

• Identify and become familiar with natural disaster-related resources for families and consider keeping printable copies of resource lists on natural disasters, their effects, and approaches to addressing physical and emotional needs of youth and their families. Keep resources easily accessible to staff, youth, and their caregivers.

• For youth in institutional settings, identify creative methods and flexibility in agency operations to help them connect with family members, friends, attorneys, and other social supports during and after a natural disaster (e.g., increased access to video or phone visits, alternative communication schedules, etc.).

Juvenile justice administrators should establish an organizational culture that prioritizes the physical and emotional well-being of staff and administrators.

• If staff were directly impacted by the disaster, take immediate steps to support their physical and emotional well-being by connecting staff with available supports within the agency/system and in the community.

• Formalize strategies for preventing, identifying, and addressing secondary traumatic stress and vicarious trauma among juvenile justice staff and administrators by creating and implementing a workforce wellness plan that promotes high-quality, trauma-informed services and reduces staff burnout and turnover. Model self-care and work-life balance for supervisors and staff throughout the organization.

• Increase staff awareness of the potential impacts of working with traumatized individuals on their own well-being and emphasize the importance of prioritizing self-care (e.g., mindfulness, exercise, good nutrition, rest, social support, counseling).

• Assess staff well-being by routinely screening for secondary traumatic stress among staff (e.g., Professional Quality of Life Measure, Secondary Traumatic Stress Informed Organization Assessment Tool) and in the organization (e.g., Secondary Traumatic Stress Informed Organization Assessment), and offer information for self-care activities, employee assistance, or obtaining external sources of support.

• Create “trauma-free zones” or “self-care rooms” to provide a space for mental and physical nourishment (i.e., snacks, water), including wellness activities (e.g., mindfulness, yoga, exercise, quiet time, time to connect with supportive colleagues) and resources on trauma, healing, and resilience for staff and administrators.

• Provide consistent, high-quality, reflective, and trauma-informed supervision that focuses on positive and supportive professional relationships.

Juvenile justice supervisors and staff should prioritize self-care and physical and emotional well-being in their work through regular, routine activities and practices.

• Identify sources of social support and enjoyable activities outside of the workplace, such as spending time with family, spiritual/religious groups, clubs, or hobbies and make a routine for spending time engaging in them each week. The best way to make a routine into a habit is to share your intentions with someone else who can help encourage you in your goals.

• Reach out to supportive colleagues and supervisors about work-related stress or when you have a tough day or when a case does not end well.

• Keep an eye out for unhealthy coping methods, such as drinking too much alcohol, substance use, increased arguments or tension with family or friends, or losing too much sleep. Be aware of community resources and employee assistance programs to support you with these needs if they arise. Share these resources with a colleague who may benefit from them and follow-up to check if they were successfully connected.

• Remember the importance of your work and your reason for working in juvenile justice, centering your thoughts on the beneficial aspects of your work.

• Closely monitor changes in federal, state, territory, tribal, and county juvenile justice policies designed to address disaster-related challenges and to support child, youth, family, and staff well-being.

• Engage in cross-system collaboration and natural disaster planning with other national, state, and local child- and family-serving organizations, community organizations, and emergency systems (e.g., Red Cross, FEMA, law enforcement, schools) to coordinate a trauma-informed response.

• Encourage staff and supervisors to implement trauma-informed, resilience-focused practices to identify and ameliorate disaster-related trauma (see recommendations for supervisor and staff below).

• Monitor updates to best practices and emerging, promising approaches to addressing disaster-related trauma, in addition to existing evidence-informed approaches (see Section 3).

• Establish protocol and procedures for identifying and addressing primary and secondary trauma reactions among staff, particularly those regularly working in the field with youth and families.

• Monitor emergency and related funding opportunities to build agency infrastructure to respond to disaster-related needs for youth and maintain consistent service delivery (e.g., investing in telehealth, mental health training/consultation).

• In the days and weeks after a natural disaster occurs, use an evidence-informed approach to support youth (e.g., Psychological First Aid). Before asking questions or collecting information from youth and their families, begin by establishing regular contact and engaging with youth; assessing for physical and emotional risk and safety; offering ways to provide support and comfort; and connecting the child or youth to resources for stabilization, if there is ongoing crisis (e.g., loss of family or community). For additional tips on how to respond to a natural disaster in the immediate aftermath, see the Put It Into Practice #5 resource. For additional information on Psychological First Aid, see Section 3 of this toolkit.

• Encourage parents and caregivers to develop awareness and skills for supporting youth in their care during and after a natural disaster. Parents/caregivers should provide factual information on what has happened and what to expect after a natural disaster. Discourage over-exposure to media about the natural disaster; download the Help Kids Cope app developed by the NCTSN for tips on talking to youth about natural disaster, and encourage engaging in regular routines as much as possible to instill a sense of normalcy.

• Avoid using “debriefing” techniques by having youth talk about the details of the natural disaster in the immediate aftermath, as these approaches can increase risk for ongoing posttraumatic stress. If a child or youth shows ongoing reactions of trauma, referral to a structured, trauma-focused intervention is warranted. See Section 3 of this toolkit for a list of evidence-based, trauma-informed models for youth in juvenile justice who have experienced a natural disaster.

• After initial contact is made and support and stabilization services have been provided (if necessary), begin gathering information about the needs of youth. Remember to discuss practical assistance with basic needs and supports, in addition to connection with social supports, information on coping with common reactions, and linkage to outside services if necessary. Psychological First Aid offers a number of guides, handouts, and resources for talking about coping and common reactions with youth (see Section 3). For additional tips for talking to youth about natural disaster, see the Put It Into Practice resources for this section.

• When in-person contact is not possible, it is essential to identify alternative ways to connect with youth and help them establish and maintain contact with others in their support network, including through the use of technology (e.g., telephone, text messaging, virtual meetings).

• Support and help maintain social connections between youth and their families, friends, and communities to provide social support and ongoing information about their safety.

• Tailor strategies to the youth’s age and developmental stage. Ensure that older children and adolescents have contact with peers, siblings, caring adults, and/or other social supports.

• For youth who are in institutional settings, identify creative and flexible methods to help them connect with social supports.

  • Encourage youth to connect with family members, peers, attorneys, and other social supports by offering alternative methods of communication (e.g., video visits, phone calls, emails, letter writing).
  • Allow for flexibility in agency operations related to phone or video visit allowances and communication schedules to ensure youth have access to their social supports when needed and do not revoke opportunities to connect with social supports as a form of punishment.

• Actively monitor the well-being, strengths, and needs of children, youth, and their parents/caregivers. Screen youth for adversity, separation, types and details of natural disaster exposure, and disaster-related trauma symptoms using a valid, reliable, and developmentally- and culturally-sensitive tool (e.g., UCLA Brief COVID-19 Screen for Child/Adolescent PTSD; Child PTSD Symptom Scale; SAMHSA Child/Youth and Adult Assessment and Referral Tools).

• For youth experiencing moderate levels of distress in the weeks following a natural disaster, consider using a short-term, evidence-based model to promote coping with natural disaster, such as Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR). See Section 3 of this toolkit for more information on SPR.

• For youth experiencing severe distress or who have not shown improvement six weeks after a natural disaster, refer them for formal evidence-based, trauma-informed treatment. For a list of evidence-based treatments that have been used with youth in juvenile justice, child welfare, and/or in response to natural disaster, see Section 3 of this toolkit.

• Learn about the signs of secondary and vicarious trauma and monitor yourself for these signs during and after a natural disaster. Try using a standardized tool to check your reactions (e.g., PROQoL; Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale).

• Use strategies and activities to prevent or reduce trauma symptoms, such as relaxation (e.g., deep breathing, visual imagery), engaging in enjoyable activities or socialization, and processing and expressing feelings (e.g., through journaling, art, music). If symptoms persist, talk to your supervisor, colleagues, or employee assistance to obtain additional support and consider reaching out to a mental health provider.