News Article

SAMHSA DTAC has developed the attached Toolkit of Behavioral Health Resources Pertaining to the Israel-Hamas Conflict for use by the disaster behavioral health community and those working with and supporting individuals and communities emotionally impacted by the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Omegle, an online platform that allowed users to have anonymous video and text chats with strangers has announced they have shut down.

The platform gained notoriety for being used by predators seeking to exploit and harm unsuspecting users, particularly minors. These individuals would engage in grooming and luring tactics, attempting to establish trust with their targets before coercing them into inappropriate or dangerous situations.

The White House announced the establishment of the first-ever Office of Gun Violence Prevention to reduce gun violence and implement and expand upon key executive and legislative actions, including the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

Maine people affected by the violence in Lewiston are encouraged to reach out and connect with behavioral health support. Incidents of mass violence can lead to a range of emotional reactions, including anxiety, fear, anger, despair and a sense of helplessness that may begin immediately or in the days or weeks following the event.

Please visit Maine.gov to access an extensive list of resources.

The Stop the Bleed training and outreach efforts are being coordinated by the Colorado Trauma Network. Interested schools can learn more and start the process through the Stop the Bleed webpage. 

From Safe2Tell: Please join Attorney General Phil Weiser for a conversation about strategies to address vaping in Colorado schools and communities.
The Department of Law wants to hear from participants about what is working best, and what requires additional action, to address vaping in your community.

Safer Schools Together acknowledges that as the traumatic events unfold in Israel, some students and families will require additional support processing complex emotions. These events can bring about many anxieties and fears for children and adults. It is important during this time that we support each other. Parents and guardians are encouraged to discuss/monitor their children’s social media use as images/videos being circulated are incredibly graphic and disturbing.

This new training is designed for parents and the general public; it is therefore accessible directly from the OSS website. No user sign-up required.

Take the Threat Assessment: What Parents and Guardians Need to Know training

Mental Health America announced on Wednesday, September 20th, 2023, the release of three new valuable resources to enhance mental health support for Spanish-speaking communities: