Safety, Recovery and Hope After California Wildfires: Helping Communities and Families

Complex disasters, such as wildfires, present a cascade of impacts to those affected, including individuals, families and communities. These disasters often promote feelings of fear, confusion, grief, helplessness, anxiety, anger, guilt and even diminished confidence in self or others. In order to counter these effects, disaster experts endorse an approach called Psychological First Aid (PFA), which can help reduce negative feelings and foster one’s sense of safety, recovery and hope.