Mental Health Resources for Transit Workers

Mental health is an important part of overall health and well-being and a difficult topic to discuss. FTA has aggregated the mental health resources below to support transit industry workers during challenging times. We encourage you to share these online resources widely with the transit agencies in your region and your networks. 

 Mental Health, Wellness and Self-Care 

These resources can help frontline transit workers and others in the transit industry address mental health concerns and support self-care during the past COVID-19 pandemic and in the wake of a traumatic or stressful event. 

General

• Mental Health in the Workplace [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)]
• Mental Health Toolkit [U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)]
• Caring for Your Mental Health [National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)]
• Tips for Survivors of a Disaster or Other Traumatic Event: Managing Stress [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Resource]
• Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator [HHS]
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) [NIMH]
• National Center for PTSD  [U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)]

COVID-19 Pandemic

• Employees: How to Cope with Job Stress and Build Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic [CDC]
• Burnout, Self-Care, and COVID-19 Exposure for First Responders [National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)]
• CDC Emergency Responders: Tips for Taking Care of Yourself (CDC)
• Disaster Distress Helpline (CDC)
• Mental Health and Coping During the COVID-19 Pandemic (HHS)
• Active Shooter: Consider Overlapping Hazards: COVID-19 (FEMA)

Suicide Postvention

• A Manager's Guide to Suicide Postvention in the Workplace: 10 Action Steps for Dealing with the Aftermath of Suicide [Suicide Prevention Resource Center; Not a Federal Resource]   
• Responding to Grief, Trauma, and Distress After a Suicide: U.S. National Guidelines [Suicide Prevention Resource Center; Not a Federal Resource] 

Psychological First Aid

• PTSD: National Center for PTSD [VA]
• Psychological First Aid [Coursera]
• Psychological First Aid [Johns Hopkins University]

Suicide Prevention 

FTA issued Safety Advisory 22-4: Suicide Prevention Signage on Public Transit to recommend that transit agencies apply best practices for reducing suicide attempts to their suicide prevention signage and messaging campaigns and advise transit agencies to assess suicide event data to monitor the impact of signage effects.

These resources highlight free and confidential support for people in emotional distress and offer potential interventions for organizations. 

• Suicide Prevention Hotlines [NIMH] 
• Frequently Asked Questions About Suicide [NIMH; in English and Spanish]
• Warning Signs of Suicide [NIMH; in English and Spanish]
• 5 Action Steps for Helping Someone in Emotional Pain [NIMH; in English and Spanish]
• Suicide Prevention Toolkit [SAMHSA]
• Suicide Prevention [CDC]
• Depression Interventions [CDC]
• SAMHSA 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline [SAMHSA]

Active Shooter Preparedness Resources

These resources offer information to help frontline transit workers recognize indicators of potential workplace violence and understand actions to take when confronted by an active shooter. 

• Options for Consideration Active Shooter Preparedness Video [Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)]
• Active Shooter Preparedness Workshop [CISA]
• Warning Signs and What You Can Do (DHS)
• Active Shooter Emergency Action Plan [CISA]
• Active Shooter: What You Can Do [Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)]
• Pathway to Violence [CISA]
• Active Shooter Safety Resources [FBI]