Federal, state and community leaders urge trauma‑informed approaches to protect disaster responders

Alisa Santucci of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration led a session on compassion fatigue and disaster behavioral health that brought federal, state and community perspectives.

Melinda Baldwin, leading an interagency task force on trauma‑informed disaster recovery, described a federal workshop and resources developed to make forms and staff interactions less retraumatizing and to provide practical, short trainings and a guidebook for staff. "We started developing... three videos" and a workshop experience to teach trauma‑informed approaches, Baldwin said.

Telly Matangi of Papa Ola Lokahi described culturally grounded practices in Hawaii and the Pacific — language access, prayer/chanting, music and resource fairs — that reduced fear and increased engagement during the Maui response. "When you have somebody who can lighten that... all of a sudden people... tend to just ease up," she said, describing use of DJs and community entertainers to change the atmosphere at clinics and fairs.

Garcia Bodley, Louisiana's emergency preparedness director for behavioral health, described the sustained strain of multiple disasters during COVID and back‑to‑back hurricanes, highlighting the need for leadership to invest in staff check‑ins, psychological first aid training, and resiliency programs.

Panel recommendations included: adopt trauma‑informed intake and forms; fund culturally competent, paid community responders; expand crisis counseling and technical assistance; and design long‑term funding to keep supports available well after the 'first boom' of donations.

Why it matters: Responders and local community messengers often carry the burden of both loss and response. Panelists argued that building culturally safe systems and paying local responders reduces retraumatization and improves uptake of services.