For Mental Health and Human Services Workers
in Major Disasters

STRESS PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT

Working with disaster survivors is inevitably stressful at times. The long hours, breadth of survivors' needs and demands, ambiguous roles, and exposure to human suffering can affect even the most experienced professional. While the work is personally rewarding and challenging, it also has the potential for affecting workers in adverse ways. Too often, staff stress is addressed as an afterthought.

Preventive stress management focuses on two critical contexts: the organizational and the individual. Adopting a preventive perspective allows both workers and programs to anticipate stressors and shape crises rather than simply reacting to them after they occur. Suggestions for organizational and individual stress prevention and management are presented in the next four pages.

Organizational Approaches for Stress Prevention and Management

Dimension

Response

• Clear chain of command and reporting relationships
• Available and accessible clinical supervisor
• Disaster orientation provided for all workers
• Shifts no longer than 12 hours with 12 hours off
• Briefings provided at beginning of shifts as workers exit and enter the operation
• Necessary supplies available (e.g., paper, forms, pens, educational materials)
• Communication tools available (e.g., cell phones, radios)

• Clearly defined intervention goals and strategies appropriate to assignment setting (e.g., crisis intervention, debriefing)

• Staff oriented and trained with written role descriptions for each assignment setting
• When setting is under the jurisdiction of another agency (e.g., Red Cross, FEMA), staff informed of mental health's role, contact people and expectations

• Buddy system for support and monitoring stress reactions
• Positive atmosphere of support and tolerance with "good job" said often

Organizational Approaches for Stress Prevention and Management (Continued)

Dimension

Response

• Workers' functioning assessed regularly
• Workers rotated between low-, mid-, and high stress tasks
• Breaks and time away from assignment encouraged
• Education about signs and symptoms of worker stress and coping strategies
• Individual and group defusing and debriefing provided
• Exit plan for workers leaving the operation: debriefing, reentry information, opportunity to critique, and formal recognition for service

Individual Approaches for Stress Prevention and Management

Dimension

Response

• Task priority levels set with a realistic work plan
• Existing workload delegated so workers not attempting disaster response and usual job

• Physical exercise and muscle stretching when possible
• Nutritional eating, avoiding excessive junk food, caffeine, alcohol, or tobacco
• Adequate sleep and rest, especially on longer assignments
• Contact and connection maintained with primary social supports

• Reducing physical tension by taking deep breaths, calming self through meditation, walking mindfully
• Using time off for exercise, reading, listening to music, taking a bath, talking to family, getting a special meal-to recharge batteries
• Talking about emotions and reactions with coworkers during appropriate times