The National Association of Social Workers is deeply shocked and saddened by the tragedy that took place on Monday, April 16 on the Virginia Tech campus. We offer our condolences to the students, their families and friends, and the entire community.
Social workers know that the effects of this tragedy, as the facts unfold, will be felt by the students of Virginia Tech and the Blacksburg community for some time to come. We encourage those who are experiencing feelings of anger, grief and loss to seek the assistance of those mental health professionals who have been brought into the campus community.
To find social workers who have expertise in grief, loss and mental health, please click here.
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Resources
Here is a list of resources from the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care:
The American Academy of Pediatrics has assembled a collection of resources to help parents, teachers, students, schools, and pediatricians cope with the aftermath of this terrible event. Additional resources are provided on violence prevention, school safety, and promoting mental health. http://www.aap.org/featured/resourcepage.htm
Mental Health America offers tips for educators, students and parents on how to talk about the tragedy. http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/coping- virginia-tech
The NYU Child Study Center has put together tips for parents and school professionals for talking to kids about tough topics such as these school shootings and for understanding how children and adolescents cope with traumatic events. http://www.aboutourkids.org/ aboutour/articles/school_violence_tips.html
International Critical Stress Foundation offers a brief informational handout. http://www.icisf.org/Articles/Acrobat% 20Documents/TerrorismIncident/CISInfoSheet.pdf
The UCLA School Mental Health Project has a handout on “Assessing Whether a Student Might Commit a Violent Act.” http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/shootings.pdf
