Resources
We're here to be your partner in raising a happy, healthy child. Below is a list of resources with links to local programs designed to help families in need.
Mental Health Tips During a Crisis
To Manage Stress or Trauma
Tips for Parents:
• Acknowledge what happened. If your child is talking or asking about traumatic events, it is important for the caregivers / loved ones in their life to acknowledge what happened, provide age-appropriate information, and be supportive.
• Parents may want to approach older children who may have seen the news or videos on social media and find out what they know and what their thoughts / feelings are about what happened.
• Recognize the effect this has on your child. Talk to your child about their thoughts and emotions as it pertains to the event and validate their feelings and concerns. With mass shootings in public places and places of worship, this is a valid concern for them, and all adults need to take their viewpoint and concerns into consideration.
• Help your child to feel safe. A sense of normalcy and routine as soon as possible after an event helps to re-establish a child's sense of safety and structure. Discuss whatever positive aspects can be found in tragic events such as the quick police response and how community members and citizens across the country are coming together to support those affected.
Tips for Adults:
• Everyone experiences events and trauma in different ways and however they think or feel after an event like this is okay. Some people respond with fear, some anger, some shock, sadness, etc. Encourage people to talk about what they are thinking and feeling. Seek support from friends, family, or professionals if necessary.
• Try to get back to routines and schedules to promote feelings of consistency and balance to reduce fear and provide a feeling of returning control and predictability.
• Be mindful to consider the amount of exposure to the news / media, particularly to children. It is okay to keep updated, but continuing to view the images, etc. will worsen and prolong the issues the person is experiencing.
Resources for families in South Carolina
SC 211- is a program of the United Way Association of South Carolina. Get Connected. Get Answers.
Babynet- is South Carolina’s interagency early intervention system for infants and toddlers under three years of age with developmental delays.
Make The First Five Count- The first five years of development lay the foundation for a child's overall success. Easterseals is a partner in your child's wellness, supporting their growth and happiness through life's earliest developmental milestones.
SC Thrive- provides access to free or low-cost healthcare coverage (Medicaid) and other quality of life resources.
WIC- offers health education, healthy foods, breastfeeding support and other free services for families. We're here to be your partner in raising a happy, healthy child. Below is a list of resources with links to local programs designed to help families in need.
South Carolina Assistive Technology Program- the SCATP is a federally-funded program that puts technology into the hands of people with disabilities so that they might live, work, learn, and be a more independent part of the community.
SCDDSN- is the state agency that plans, develops, oversees and funds services for South Carolinians with severe, lifelong disabilities of intellectual disability, autism, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury.
South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind- Located in Spartanburg, this is the state's only specialized school for students who are deaf or blind. Its programs assist youth from birth through high school and beyond.
External Resources recommended by Our Therapist
