#EvergreenStrong awards its first grant.

 

Anyone impacted by the event on September 10th who is wishing to take advantage of free counseling at Resilience1220 should make arrangements with them directly.  To augment what is already being covered by Victims Advocacy and other sources, #EvergreenStrong has committed to a substantial donation to the organization to offer group counseling and training, not otherwise covered by other funding sources.

 

Resilience 1220 contracts with 25 private therapists to provide individual and group therapy.  Resilience 1220 interviews and vets all private-practice therapists who would like to join Resilience1220.  These therapists are paid, but their fees are well below their private-practice rate.

 

Funding was requested to provide for six different groups needing therapy, each for 6 weeks.  Two groups will be held each quarter over the next 9 months.  Each will run for 6 weeks.  Each group will have 8-12 participants and will run for two hours.

 

In addition to students, adults who were also impacted are able to participate in group therapy sessions.  The first group, which started today (9/24), is geared for parents of middle-school and high-school-aged students.  It will explore parent fear, hurt, and the feeling of being overwhelmed while equipping parents with tools to help their children process their feelings.

 

A Survivors' Guilt group for teens will start on October 6th.  Over half the student body was off campus during the shooting.  Many students are highly attached to the school community and are struggling with not being there and feeling they did not help.

 

In their Request for Assistance, Resilience1220 stated:  "Group therapy is a beneficial therapeutic practice for several reasons.  Clients feel less alone in their experience and understand others are feeling the same way.  Clients feel connected with one another in a group and this reduces isolation.  Clients are able to give each other feedback and encouragement, and can learn from each other in a supportive environment, which promotes growth and healing.  Feelings are validated and normalized, which helps reduce stigma and feelings of shame.  Clients are also able to hear others' perspectives and ideas, which helps increase individual understanding of their own challenges and struggles."  

 

In addition, #EvergreenStrong has provided funding for specific training for therapists to broaden the ability to respond to additional requests for the use of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), an evidenced-based approach specifically created to help people heal from trauma.  "It helps reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, requires fewer sessions for clients to start feeling relief of symptoms and for the event to be less overwhelming.  EMDR also helps reduce anxiety and depression and helps improve sleep, focus and emotional regulation," according to Resilience1220.

 

Additional training to therapists is being provided by our grant -- training specific to mass traumatic events -- by a local psychologist who will provide specific youth-focused modalities following this traumatic event.

 

This represents the first grant made from funds donated to #EvergreenStrong.

 

Resilience1220 will hold its previously-scheduled open house and ribbon cutting at its new facilities on Friday, September 26th, at noon.  The address is: La Plaza Office Park • 3072 Evergreen Pkwy. • Suite 100

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Others impacted by the September 10th event who are seeking assistance with paying for private therapy with previously engaged therapists not associated with Resilience1220 may submit a Request for Assistance through this website.  We expect the form to apply should be posted by October 1st.