Gun violence is a deadly epidemic in the United States. While most of us only witness these horrific events from the safety of our homes through TV or other news accounts, the majority of us have never had to endure anything remotely close to the terror of an active shooter situation--let alone a school shooting at our child's school.
In this episode, my friend Joelle Danahy shares her harrowing experience of living through the deadly school shooting at Saugus High School where her youngest son, Edwin, was a student on November 14, 2019.
Joelle shares how she and her family have survived the aftermath of this devastating trauma, the challenge of finding mental health support and important advice about what your child should NEVER do with their cell phone.
Her survival journey is a grief-filled yet inspiring example of resilience, optimism and hope in the face of unspeakable violence that has forever changed her, her son and her community.
Here are some of the resources Joelle referenced during our conversation:
Dr. David Schonfeld, MD, FAAP, developmental behavioral pediatrician and Professor at the USC School of Social Work and Pediatrics and Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
The National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement website is www.schoolcrisiscenter.org
Better Help is an online Counseling service - helpful to find mental health help if your area is saturated and all the counselors are fully booked:
California Victim Compensation Board - for those individuals **and their families** who are victims of crime. For example, all of the students on campus that day are considered victims, and are entitled to a variety of benefits if they sign up to be a part of the program. The families of the students are also eligible. Both Joelle and her son, Edwin, signed up & were approved for this compensation. Although Joelle says the paperwork is hefty, the funds provided help to cover mental health costs which can be paid for or reimbursed by the state. This is huge--especially if families don't have mental health coverage. Edwin's equine therapy was covered by the Victim's Compensation Fund.
https://victims.ca.gov/for-victims/
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