When a disaster happens, we do not think of the toll it leaves behind on our mental health. The stress off keeping our family safe and figuring out how to start to rebuild can be daunting. That is why the American Red Cross offers many ways after a disaster to help everyone through the hard times.

Red Cross mental health volunteers are trained to provide support during and after a disaster has passed. Mental health volunteers provide a positive environment in disaster shelters and offer a listening ear for those who just need someone to talk to. By speaking to individuals, they can also spot early signs of traumatic stress and can refer that person to a specialist where they can receive the proper help they may need.

Disaster Mental Health volunteers help create conditions where people, families and communities can rebuild after devastating events. Just last year we deployed over 500 Disaster Mental Health volunteers across the states to be able to help those that have lost everything. The number of disasters that we respond to everyday keeps grown and along with that is the need for mental health volunteers.

If you are a mental health professional with a Master’s Degree and a current license or certification in any US state or territory (or recently retired)? Your skills are needed to help people facing the stress and trauma of disaster, or to facilitate skills workshops for service members, veterans and their families. Please consider volunteering, https://www.redcross.org/local/texas/gulf-coast/volunteer.html.