With recent conversations around violence in the community, I thought you'd
find the following publications of great interest and use.  Since September
11, 2001, it seems the Nation has acquired a greater awareness of crime,
violence, and other disasters in our communities. Child abductions and
murder, violence in schools and on college campuses, and, most recently, the
sniper attacks in the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC, areas, are
frequent headline news for local and national media. Both television
channels and Internet news services and sites report these events 24 hours a
day. Mental health professionals are expressing concern that this frequent
exposure to reports of violence and aggression can cause individuals,
especially children and adolescents, to experience heightened
stress, anxiety, and fear.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in
its continuing efforts to promote better mental health for all Americans,
has responded to these mental health concerns and created a set of fact
sheets especially for families coping with crisis. These fact sheets are now
available to the public in print and on SAMHSA's National Mental Health
Information Center Web site:

** Simple Strategies for Families Coping with Crisis and Uncertainty, at
www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/NMH02-0137/default.asp,
provides practical coping strategies for families.

** Age-specific Interventions at Home for Children in Trauma: From
Preschool to Adolescence, at
www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/NMH02-0138/default.asp,
suggests age-appropriate activities to help children share recovery feelings
and experiences at home.

** The Long-term Impact of a Traumatic Event: What to Expect in Your
Personal, Family, Work, and Financial Life, at
www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/NMH02-0139/default.asp,
cites examples of personal uncertainties, family relationship changes, work
disruptions, and financial worries that may contribute to the long-term
impact of a traumatic event.

** Anniversary Reactions to a Traumatic Event: The Recovery Process
Continues, at
www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/NMH02-0140/default.asp,
describes common anniversary reactions among victims of traumatic events and
their role in the recovery process.


Printed versions of these fact sheets can be obtained by contacting the
National Mental Health Information Center at 1-800-789-2647 (TDD
866-889-2647), 301-984-8796 fax, or E-mail [log in to unmask]

Organizations with Web sites are encouraged to make these resources
available to their readers either by linking to individual fact sheets (as
shown above) or to the National Mental Health Information Center 's Disaster
Mental Health-Tips for Talking About Disasters Web page at
http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cmhs/EmergencyServices/after.asp. The
fact sheets are listed here along with tips for other segments of the
population, including teachers, emergency and disaster response workers, and
Spanish-speaking audiences.

As disasters and crisis situations arise, SAMHSA is committed to responding
quickly and effectively to the mental health needs of all Americans.

Farra Trompeter
SAMHSA's National Mental Health Information Center
[log in to unmask]

********************************************
National Mental Health Information Center
(http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/) is a service of the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS). Call 1-800-789-2647 for bilingual
information service; (TDD) 866-889-2647.

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