Course Pediatric Disaster Behavioral Health (PDBH) Toolkit

This toolkit was developed by the Pediatric Prevention Network’s (PPN) Mental & Behavioral Health Domain. Final version was completed August 2026. The toolkit is developed for educational purposes only. 

The Pediatric Prevention Network is supported in part by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of cooperative agreements U1IMC55835 and U1IMC55834, with 0 percent financed with nongovernmental sources. The content presented here is that of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, visit HRSA.gov.

This toolkit includes recommended actions that agencies and jurisdictions may want to consider during incidents with pediatric disaster behavioral health impacts. These strategies are not prescriptive and thus should be considered and organized within the context of the incident, the organizations responding, and the existing emergency management structure and plans. Furthermore, these strategies are not a mandate, nor do they reflect a comprehensive list of all potential considerations related to pediatric disaster behavioral health. Finally, the information included in this toolkit is focused on disaster related impacts and is not designed to address everyday mental health emergencies. 

With Support from the Pediatric Prevention Network

pedspandemicnetwork.org

The Pediatric Prevention Network is supported in part by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of cooperative agreements U1IMC55835 and U1IMC55834, with 0 percent financed with nongovernmental sources. The content presented here is that of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, visit HRSA.gov.

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives CC BY-NC-ND

You are free to download and share this work for noncommercial purposes, as long as you credit the Center for Global Health and the Pediatric Prevention Network for the original creation.