Reflecting on recent gun violence / resources for the CCA community
Posted June 27, 2022, 4:25 PM
Dear CCA Community,
Yesterday, our country was again shaken by an act of horrific violence, the latest in the unrelenting stream of tragedies that continues to devastate lives, families, and communities. I want to acknowledge the outrage, hurt, and trauma brought about by this act at an elementary school in Texas, the recent shootings at a church in Orange County, a grocery store in Buffalo, and countless others. It is nearly impossible for us to process the trauma of these violent acts—against children, elderly churchgoers, community members. On this, the second anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, I want to recognize too the disproportionate number of Black and Brown faces among the victims.
Our country feels very broken, and we are suffering terribly. Words seem inadequate when it’s decisive action that’s needed. As an institution, our mission is to focus on caring for our community and educating the next generation of creative citizens to bring about change. We must continue working to overcome the terrible sense of helplessness we may feel in the face of social stasis and a broken political system that fails to protect our most vulnerable and to uphold our values. But we must not let that feeling of helplessness turn into one of hopelessness.
As we head into the long holiday weekend, I want to leave you with a few resources you may find helpful as you care for yourselves, your colleagues, and your loved ones, as well as several organizations engaged in addressing gun violence.
Take care,
Steve
Gun violence prevention & engagement resources
Giffords.org (focused legislative effort)
Campaign Zero (keeping state violence top of mind)
Personal, workplace, and community care resources
Safe+Equal — International resource for wellbeing, self-care, and professional sustainability
Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
- Restoring a Sense of Safety in the Aftermath of a Mass Shooting: Tips for Parents and Professionals — Resource for parents and educators
- Leadership Communication: Anticipating and Responding to Stressful Events — Communication resource for leaders
The JED Foundation
- How to Cope With Traumatic Events
- The National Association of School Psychologists has created a very helpful guide to supporting students.
- The American School Counselor Association maintains updated Resources to Support Students after a school shooting.
- The National Child Traumatic Stress Network offers searchable resources that focus on how adults can identify and respond to traumatic responses in young people.
Resources from Claremont EAP (CCA’s employee assistance program)