National Alliance on Mental Illness | NAMI
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is a national grassroots mental health organization that supports individuals and families affected by mental illness through education, advocacy, public awareness, and peer support.
Bereavement & Grief | Factsheet for Survivors of Loss
Grief is the emotional, mental, and physical response to losing someone or something deeply important, often triggered by death, trauma, or other life-altering events. This resource explains how adults experience grief, offers practical coping strategies, and highlights when to seek additional support.
How to Identify an Experienced Trauma-Focused Therapist
In NMVC SNAPS #2: Helping Children and Teens Manage Trauma and Grief Following an MVI, presenter Rochelle Hanson, Ph.D., explains how mass violence affects children and teens and provides practical strategies to support their recovery in the aftermath.
Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale
The Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS) is a 17-item self-report instrument designed to measure the frequency of secondary traumatic stress symptoms experienced by professionals working with traumatized populations. It is the most widely used tool for assessing the effects of secondary exposure to trauma. The STSS measures intrusion, avoidance, and arousal symptoms associated with indirect exposure to trauma.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network | Coping after Mass Violence
Mass violence incidents, where multiple people are injured or killed, affect entire communities and can be highly stressful. You may have experienced injury, worry for others, loss of a loved one, or interactions with law enforcement. While most people gradually return to normal routines, understanding the impact of mass violence can help you care for yourself and others.
Timeline of Activities to Promote Mental Health Recovery | Recommendations Before, During, and Following a Mass Violence Incident
This tip sheet provides guidance for Victim Service Providers, mental health professionals, and emergency planners on when and how to implement resources that support victims and families after a mass violence incident, helping communities prepare for and respond to trauma and grief throughout the recovery process.
Tips for Disaster Responders | Understanding Compassion Fatigue
Disaster behavioral health work can be rewarding but may lead to compassion fatigue, which includes burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Prolonged exposure can sometimes result in vicarious trauma, causing distress and negatively altering a responder’s view of the world.
Tips for Survivors | Coping with Anger After a Disaster or Other Traumatic Event
People often feel anger after a disaster or other traumatic event, anger about the damage, the disruption to their plans, the long and stressful recovery process, financial strain, or the intensity of their own reactions. They may also feel a broader frustration or resentment about how the event has changed their lives in ways they didn’t choose.
Tips for Survivors | Coping With Grief After Community Violence
Community violence can trigger powerful grief and anger, not only from the loss of life but also from the loss of safety, trust, and stability within a community. This resource outlines common reactions to grief and anger after such events and offers guidance, coping strategies, and avenues for additional support.
Tips for Survivors of a Disaster or a Traumatic Event | What to Expect in Your Personal, Family, Work and Financial Life
Disasters and traumatic events are common, with many people experiencing trauma in childhood and later facing natural or human-caused disasters. While these events can resurface earlier wounds and complicate recovery, most people are resilient, and for those who continue to struggle, support and effective help are available.
Tips for Young Adults | Coping With Mass Violence
Young adulthood (ages 18–26) is a major period of transition marked by shifting roles, new responsibilities, and stressors related to education, work, finances, relationships, and an uncertain future. This resource explains how mass violence can affect young adults—directly or indirectly—outlines common reactions, and offers practical coping strategies and support options.
Vicarious Trauma Fact sheet
Vicarious trauma, also referred to as compassion fatigue is the emotional toll experienced by professionals who work with trauma survivors. Its symptoms can mirror PTSD such as re-experiencing, numbness, avoidance, and heightened arousal—and may alter how caregivers perceive the world, especially in those with prior trauma histories.
Voices Tip Sheets | Promoting Healing & Community Resilience in the Aftermath of Mass Violence
In the aftermath of mass violence, survivors, families, and witnesses are often overwhelmed and unsure how to access essential information, while children are especially vulnerable and require safe, supportive care. VOICES Center for Resilience offers research-informed tip sheets that provide clear, timely guidance for victims’ families, survivors, first responders, and healthcare practitioners, including support for children and considerations for both short- and long-term mental health.
Videos on the Effects of Trauma & Vicarious Trauma on Professionals
