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Families and Caregivers

Parents and caregivers play an essential role in helping children and teenagers recover from traumatic events. These resources are for parents, adoptive parents, resource/foster parents, grandparents, caregivers, and all others who care for children and teens. The more caregivers learn about how traumatic events affect their children (whether toddler, school-age, teen, youth, or adult), the more they understand the reasons for their children’s behaviors and emotions, and the better prepared they are to help them cope. When children know that caring adults are working to keep them safe and support them in understanding their reactions to trauma, most can recover and go on to live healthy and productive lives.

NCTSN Resource

Recognizing Drug Use in Adolescents: A Quick Guide for Caregivers and Adults

Type: Resource Guide

Summarizes the signs of intoxication, substance use, and abuse commonly reported by substance users. This guide for parents and caregivers describes different substances teens use, how a teen may look when on that substance, how they may act, and how the substance may make them feel.

NCTSN Resource

Parenting in a Challenging World

Type: Resource Guide

Looks at parenting concerns, with the help of scenes from the documentary film Surviving September 11th: The story of One New York Family. The guide and film address a terrorist attack.

NCTSN Resource

Family Preparedness: Thinking Ahead

Type: Tip Sheet

Accompanies the Family Preparedness Wallet Card. This guide helps families develop a safety plan so that they may be prepared in the event of disasters.

Partner-In Resource

Turning the Tide: Parenting in the Wake of Past Trauma

Type: Resource Guide

Gives voice to the struggles of parents and caregivers who experienced trauma growing up in their own families. For adults who are living with the painful effects of their own childhood  environment, becoming a parent may introduce a variety of new emotional and functional challenges.

Partner-In Resource

Creando Ambientes de Apoyo Cuando Suceden Hechos Alarmantes

Type: Fact Sheet

Cómo crear ambientes de apoyo cuando ocurren hechos atemorizantes: ofrece orientación para crear ambientes de apoyo para los jóvenes cuando ocurren hechos atemorizantes. Esta hoja informativa incluye información sobre rutinas, ritmos y rituales.

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