As parents we also know it is often difficult to know how to best support our kids when they are exposed to, hear about or experience traumatic events in the world, community and especially their school. The recent shooting at Robb Elementary School just after a shooting at a grocery store ten days earlier and a tragic school shooting here in our home state only six months ago have left many of us at a loss for words to support and comfort our kids and ourselves. As a statewide family organization, the heart of the entire ACMH community breaks for the children and families of Robb Elementary & the Uvalde community. We recognize that there are no words, well-wishes or condolences we can share that can help. The short and long-term impacts of this tragic event on children, youth, and families in Uvalde will be immense and immeasurable and they, like so many other school communities across our nation including will never be the same. We know that access to quality information, resources and support are key at times like these and will use this space to share resources from trusted partners we hope can you can use to help support your kids and family.
Resources for Parents, Caregivers and Youth NCTSN Talking to Children About the Shooting Talking to Children: When Scary Things Happen (En Español) PFA Parent Tips for Helping School Age Children After Disasters Talking to Teens About Frightening Events (En Español) For Teens: Coping After Mass Violence(En Español) Going Back to School After a Tragedy NCTSN Age-Related Reactions to A Traumatic Event SAMHSA Tips for Talking With and Helping Children and Youth Cope After a Disaster or Traumatic Event AAP Talking to Children About Tragedies & Other News Events APA Helping Your Children Manage Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting Anxiety Over School Shootings – Finding proactive ways to deal with worried feelings Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth after the Recent Shooting Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth after the Recent Shooting SPANISH Psychological Impact of the Recent Shooting Talking to Children About Terrorist Attacks & School & Community Shootings in the News NCTSN School Shooting Resources Sesame Street in Communities: Community & Gun Violence NIMH Helping Children & Adolescents Cope with Traumatic Events AAP Talking with Children About Disasters CDC Helping Children Cope During & After a Disaster APA Helping Your Children Manage Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting APA Managing Your Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting After a Crisis: Helping Young Children Heal Once I Was Very Very Scared – Children’s book for young children New Featured Resource The National Child Traumatic Stress Network – I Don’t Know How Webinar Series for Parents This video series is a set of conversations between parents and providers discussing varying topics related to difficult situations and conversations parents find themselves in with their children. Explores difficult topics to help equip parents with the tools to navigate and provide support for various mental health conditions. Topics include: My Child is Suicidal and I Don’t Know How to Help I Don’t Know How to Address Worries About My Child’s Safety at School I Don’t Know How to Navigating My Child’s Worries About Bullying
General Resources
For Teachers, Educators CRWS Talking to Students About Violence Help Lines SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline. Call or text 1-800-985-5990 (for Spanish, press “2”) to be connected to a trained counselor 24/7/365. ————————————————————————————————————————————– Unfortunately this is not the first time there has been a need to share information and resources for families to help support their kids following a school shooting. Sadly the last time was less than 6 months ago following a shooting at Oxford High School right here in our home state. Resources shared then are also pasted below. Resources to Support Families following the Oxford School ShootingOur Hearts Go Out to Oxford and Communities Across Michigan As a statewide family organization, the heart of the entire ACMH family goes out to and breaks for the families who lost their children, students and staff who were injured, lost classmates and friends and the entire Oxford community following the shooting at Oxford High School last week. We recognize there are no words, well-wishes or condolences we could possibly share here that can help make any of this any better or easier. The short and long-term impacts of this tragic event on children, youth, and families in Oxford and across our state will be immense and immeasurable and all of us will likely never be the same. Reminding us once again just how quickly our lives can be forever altered or affected by events that have the capacity to shatter our sense of safety and security, challenge our ability to cope and threaten our overall mental health and wellness. As an organization created to provide help and hope to families we like all Michiganders want to do anything we can to help. So if you, your child or family has been affected by this tragedy reach out today! Events like this underscore the incredible importance of supporting children’s mental health and ensuring youth and their families have access to the services and support they need, which will be more important than ever as parents and communities across our state navigate the aftermath of this tragedy. As an organization dedicated to helping ensure that all Michigan children and youth with mental health challenges and their families live in a safe, welcoming communities with access to needed services and supports we know that this is a critical moment, in our state and the stakes are especially high. Students, families and schools in Oxford and communities across our state will need a lot of extra care and support in the coming months. Which will certainly be a challenge in a time when mental health needs are already high and resources scarce. It will take all of us working together to ensure that everyone who needs help to deal with this crisis gets it. We will need to share our collective expertise, efforts, information, resources, services and supports so that everyone can access what they need to heal and move forward We owe it to them, ourselves, our communities and the future of our state to make sure they get what they need! We know that access to quality information, resources and peer support are key in order for families, schools and communities to successfully support and advocate for the mental health needs of children and youth. We will be working to gather information, tips and resources that may be helpful and dedicating this page to sharing them for the next several months. As information from mental health and disaster professionals, families, youth and community partners is shared with us we will share them here. Please check back often as new resources will be posted regularly and be sure to let us know if you you have something you have found especially helpful or can’t find something you need or think may be helpful. Resources for Youth, Parents , Caregivers, Schools and Communities American Psychological Association Managing your distress in the aftermath of a shooting Child Mind Institute Going Back to School After a Tragedy Michigan Department of Health and Human Services MDHHS Oxford Mental Health Resources National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth after the Recent Shooting SAMHSA- Resources for responding to needs surrounding the Oxford shooting National Association of School Psychologists Talking To Children About Violence Tips for Parents and Teachers Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Tips for Survivors: Coping With Grief After a Disaster or Traumatic Event Resources and Information From Other Partners Mental Health Considerations After a Traumatic Event. Voices Center for Resilience Crisis Resources National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Call 1–800–273–TALK (1–800–273–8255), or, for Spanish, call 1–888–628–9454.The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline available 24/7 to people in crisis, including challenging reactions to disasters. Call or text 1–800–985–5990 and receive immediate counseling. This free, confidential, and multilingual crisis support service is available to anyone experiencing psychological distress as a result of a natural or human caused event. People who call and text are connected to trained and caring professionals from crisis counseling centers in the network who can provide immediate confidential counseling, referrals, and other needed support services. Oakland County Mental Health Crisis Lines : Oakland County 24-Hour Crisis Helpline 800-231-1127 or the Michigan Crisis and Access Line (MiCAL) 1-844-446-4225 (Call or Text). Bounce Back Now is a free mobile app available through the Google Play and App Stores. It is intended to help people with coping and resilience after a natural disaster or incident of mass violence. Once users have created an account, they can complete regular questionnaires to assess mental health, access education and coping tools, and put together a plan for improving emotional health. There are also parenting tips for helping children and teens in coping with the emotional impacts of a disaster. Hear about a threat? Say Something! Call 8-555-OK2SAY (855-565-2729) OK2SAY makes it easy to report threats of school violence and other suspect behavior anonymously.
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