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Responding to natural disasters

Support for early learning services and schools affected by natural disasters or community trauma.
Two young people holding hands
Be You recognises the mental health impacts that natural disasters have on communities, and the role of learning communities in supporting recovery from trauma. The following resources aim to empower learning communities to lead their own recovery and build resilience for the future.

Wellbeing tools

Educator wellbeing

Educator wellbeing is a key part of a mentally healthy learning community. The Educator wellbeing page offers a range of resources to help you manage your wellbeing and help build a mentally healthy workplace.

Wellbeing Tools for You

Paying attention to your own mental health ensures you’re better able to support the children and young people in your care. Wellbeing Tools for You outlines a range of online tools and resources designed to support your mental health and that of your colleagues.

Wellbeing Tools for Students

See Wellbeing Tools for Students for a collection of online resources that Be You has compiled for students. These tools are variously designed to help young people learn about positive mental health and wellbeing, put these concepts and skills into practice, and offer them with support when they, or their peers, are struggling.

Resources and information

Emerging Minds Community Trauma Toolkit

The Emerging Minds Community Trauma Toolkit is designed for educators working with children and families in areas affected by natural disaster or community trauma. 

Be You Fact Sheets

Learning communities may find the Be You Fact Sheets on grief, trauma and critical incidents helpful.

Stories from learning communities

Read success stories and learn implementation tips from other educators to develop positive, inclusive, and resilient learning communities.

  • Preparing all students for bushfire season
  • How to notice, inquire and provide support during the natural disaster season
  • How prepared is your learning community for a bushfire or natural disaster?

External resources

The Australian Psychological Society has a range of resources available about natural disasters and community trauma.

The Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR) develops, maintains and shares knowledge and learning to support a disaster resilient Australia.

Sessions and Events

Engage with, and learn from, the Be You team and other educators across Australia through interactive Be You implementation sessions, events and webinars. These informative online events explore aspects of Be You content and other areas of interest.

You can view recordings of sessions, events and webinars about supporting children and young people after a natural disaster, critical incident or community trauma below.

  • A roadmap for recovery following a bushfire
  • Building skills for resilience in disaster recovery
  • Community Trauma
  • Managing wellbeing in times of change and uncertainty (Be You Virtual Conference 2020 - Responding Together)
  • Preparing learning communities for the bushfire season
  • Recognising, reflecting on and responding to grief and loss in a school community
  • Trauma informed practice in your learning community
  • Understanding transitions in the context of disaster recovery and resilience
  • Understanding trauma responses following a bushfire
  • Working with and walking alongside - Protective factors to support communities recovering from adverse experiences

To access all previous sessions and events and to check for upcoming sessions, visit the Be You Sessions and Events page.

Online learning for educators

Be You Professional Learning

Responding Together

Critical incidents can have a range of impacts for everyone in the learning community. The role of the learning environment in promoting a mentally healthy community, preparing for critical incidents and being responsive in times of crisis have been shown to be crucial in ensuring that people receive the help they need.

The Responding Together domain includes two modules:

  • Recognise the potential impact of critical incidents
  • Respond collaboratively to critical incidents.

Learn more about Responding Together

Mentally Healthy Communities

We all have mental health, no matter our developmental stage – including for you as an adult. Your position along a continuum of mental health will be influenced by a range of risk and protective factors, and environmental influences. In particular, mental health and wellbeing is most likely to occur in an inclusive environment, where people have supportive relationships with each other.

The Mentally Healthy Communities domain includes three modules:

  • Understand mental health and wellbeing
  • Connect through strong relationships
  • Include by embracing diversity within the community

Learn more about Mentally Healthy Communities

Emerging Minds e-learning

Emerging Minds in partnership with Be You developed e-learning courses for educators in early learning services and schools to understand their role in supporting recovery from trauma.

Three e-learning modules offer a practical framework and tips for supporting children and young people in the aftermath of a disaster or community trauma – as well as preparedness skills and knowledge.

  • Early learning educators
  • Primary school teachers
  • Secondary school teachers

Contact us

If you would like to contact Be You, send us a message via our Contact page.

Crisis support information

  • Lifeline: 13 11 14
  • Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander crisis support line: 13YARN (13 92 76)
  • Beyond Blue Support Service: 1300 22 4636
  • Mental Health Services and Support infographic (654 KB, PDF)

Last updated: April, 2022

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Be You acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land on which we work. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend our respect to all Elders and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples across Australia.