What happens after a community-wide event (disaster, tragedy) — how the North Slope response team works

After a large-scale event, widespread feelings of grief, anxiety and stress are common and may need a coordinated support response. The NSB Health & Social Services resource guide describes how that works on the North Slope. Step 1: A community-wide event happens, such as a natural disaster, a tragic community accident, or another event that causes widespread distress. Step 2: Someone in the community asks for help responding. Any community member can ask for support for themselves or for others. Don't know where to start? Call the 24/7 North Slope Crisis Line at 907-319-3040. Step 3: A coordinated response team, led by NSB Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH), is identified and sent to the community. IBH begins to coordinate a response team and identifies the specific resources, providers or tools most needed. This may be one organization or several working together. Step 4: The response team arrives in the community to provide help. They make a plan with community leaders to support community members, provide resources and services, and share information. Step 5: Community members receive the support they need to feel stabilized. The team keeps partnering with the community and emergency responders until stabilization occurs, and then works to maintain it. Support is here for you and your community, whether you are asking for yourself or for someone else. (Source: North Slope Borough Health & Social Services resource guide.)