Public health is the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. This work is achieved by promoting healthy lifestyles, researching disease and injury prevention, and detecting, preventing and responding to infectious diseases. Overall, public health is concerned with protecting the health of entire populations. These populations can be as small as a local neighborhood, or as big as an entire country or region of the world (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020).
When public health emergencies occur, there is rapidly evolving information that may be confusing and lead to feelings of anxiety. In the event of an outbreak in your community, your first concern is about how to protect and take care of yourself, your children and your family. Knowing important information about the outbreak and learning how to be prepared can reduce your stress and help calm likely anxieties.
These resources will help you think about how an infectious disease outbreak or pandemic might affect your family— both physically and emotionally—and what you can do to help your family cope in times of public health emergencies.
Offers strategies to help parents and caregivers cope with collective traumas. This fact sheet also provides guidance on what parents and caregivers can do to care for their children as they cope. Updated May 2024.
Outlines some of the traumatic impacts that COVID-19 has had on children and families. This report breaks down some of the pandemic challenges that children, families, and child-serving agencies have faced and describes the NCTSN's response to COVID-19.
Focuses on current challenges and recommendations for addressing the needs of young immigrant children, youth and families; highlighting the importance of community partnership, early childhood protections; addressing substance use and its effects, as well as faith based supportive approaches.
Provides perspectives on the institutional responses to the links between community violence and COVID-19 including law enforcement, juvenile justice, national disaster, and mental health systems.
Looks at community violence, an ongoing crisis in society as many youth and families feel the destructive repercussions of peer conflicts, gun and other weapon attacks, gang fights, and public violence incidents.
Provides information about the specific self-care strategy of Pause-Reset-Nourish, or PRN.
Features Andrew Woods, a clinician with over two decades of experience working with boys and men of color.
Introduces Angel Cooper, Matthew Bump, Weimy Montero, and Marcell Paige, four amazing young adults who will talk about their experiences and thoughts on resiliency. They will reflect on their goals, challenges, healthy coping styles, and hopes for the future.
Offers juvenile justice professionals ways to care for themselves during the pandemic. This fact sheet includes questions to ask when monitoring stress as well as do’s and don’ts for strengthening resilience and caring for yourself and others.
Offers front-line juvenile justice staff ways to effectively support one another during the pandemic. This fact sheet provides information on how to deal with disagreements, frustrations, critical incidents, and other challenges front-line workers have at work.
Offers administrators and supervisors guidance for dealing with the challenges currently facing juvenile justice settings due to the pandemic.
Offers juvenile justice professionals information on supporting justice-involved youth and families during the pandemic.