Psychiatry Department Develops Free Resources for Parents to Help Children Process School Shootings and Other Traumas
Leslie Capo, Director of Information Services
The psychology faculty in the Department of Psychiatry at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine have created a free resource for parents to help their children process school shootings. While many sources exist, they aren’t as comprehensive as this resource that offers detailed guidance all in one place. The information ranges from how to talk to your children, what is age-appropriate, how much you should share, and strategies to enhance coping.
“The continued conflict in Texas following the school shooting in Uvalde will remain in the minds of children and their caregivers for years to come,” notes Michelle Moore, PsyD, LSU Health New Orleans Clinical Psychologist and Chief of Psychology.
Helping Children Process School Shootings can be downloaded here.
“While having conversations about violence is difficult and upsetting to both caregivers and children, being open to discussions and listening to children’s fears is important now and throughout the summer, especially into next school year,” adds Dr. Moore. “We hope that this document will be a useful resource for caregivers to facilitate these conversations and support their children in the aftermath of the recent tragedy.”
Dr. Joy Osofsky put together an additional document titled "Helping Children Cope After Traumatic Events" to help children and families during these difficult times. The document may be helpful for pediatricians and other physicians working with families impacted by trauma and loss.
In addition to these free resources, Dr. Osofsky will participate in Conversations with Luminaries in the Field of Child Psychotherapy: How to Heal Childhood Trauma. The focus of the interview will be the importance of understanding trauma through the eyes of a young child; ways to support resilience to help children recover from traumatic experiences; how children can be protected, even in high levels of danger, such as war; disasters; and much more. During the interview, Dr. Osofsky will be joined in live conversation with her colleagues, Dr. Brenda Jones Harden who is President of the Board of Zero to Three and Dr. Hiram Fitzgerald who is a leading specialist on adverse childhood experiences and fatherhood. The event takes place on Monday, October 3, 2022 at noon and tickets to the online event can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/joy-osofsky-how-to-heal-childhood-trauma-live-legacy-interview-tickets-368906889437. Please note, if you are unable to make this time, a recording will be made and sent to all ticket holders.
“LSU Health New Orleans has served as a health resource for the community, state and nation since the first school shooting in 1999,” says LSU Health New Orleans Interim Chancellor Dr. Steve Nelson. “Members of our psychiatry faculty were consulted to help the Columbine High School community in Littleton, Colorado recover after that devastating horror.”