Mental Health Lead

The mental health lead promotes positive mental health strategies for families, children, and staff. They find mental health resources to use in an emergency.

Preparedness Actions

• Supports the development of the program’s disaster preparedness plan and helps the task force consider the mental health needs of children, families, and staff during all phases of an emergency.
• Completes Psychological First Aid (PSA) Online training and shares the information with staff and volunteers.
• Recommends learning and calming materials to use in the Bee CALM Backpack.
• Promotes a trauma-informed approach and models how to use positive mental health strategies in tabletop exercises and drills.
• Encourages staff to have an emergency plan for their own family.

Response Actions

• Offers support to children, families, and staff during an emergency response.
• Models using calming phrases and ways to emotionally support and reassure children.
• Supports staff in using developmentally appropriate materials in the Bee CALM Backpack to help children feel less distressed during an emergency.

Recovery Actions

• With educators and the learning and care lead, partners with families and other members of children’s support systems to assess the impact of the emergency on children and help re-establish consistent routines.
• Supports children, families, and staff and makes referrals for services if needed. A mental health consultant may help with this.
• Suggests resources for families or staff experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, or job loss after a disaster.
• Debriefs lessons learned from the disaster response.
• Assesses how well the program’s mental health procedures worked and recommends improvements as needed.

Last Updated: June 5, 2025