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Georgia TRN® Members Lead Community Healing Following School Shooting

The devastating impact of school shootings continues to shake communities across the country. When tragedy strikes, the emotional and psychological toll on survivors, their families, the community at-large and first responders can be overwhelming. In the aftermath of such events, Trauma Recovery/HAP is committed to restoring and safeguarding community mental health, offering support through our Trauma Recovery Network® (TRN).

Earlier this year, the Atlanta TRN and the Athens Area TRN came together in response to a school shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. The students, their families and school staff, in addition to the community, were devastated by this traumatic event. Effects rippled out to other communities across the state of Georgia and across the country.

By joining forces, the two TRNs were able to coordinate services and connect survivors, victims’ families, and first responders to their network of volunteer EMDR therapists and begin to provide trauma healing to the community.

Supporting Trauma Recovery After School Shootings

Andy Anderson, a Co-Coordinator of the Atlanta TRN, explains the key role TRNs play in disaster response, emphasizing how being set up and ready before a traumatic event occurs makes a difference. “The fact that we were already a TRN for several years and that we had one in Athens, too, really helped us respond to Winder in a more effective way than we could have had we not already been in existence. We had an increased capacity to help, more organization and experience in helping, and more confidence in the approach and the administration of the approach to the Winder shooting. I have also gotten the sense that the community appreciates that there is something that can be done and someone who is willing to do it in their time of need,” shared Anderson.

Brianna Sterling, Coordinator at the Athens Area TRN had previously provided unrelated counseling services to students at Apalachee High School. She was able to reach out to her contacts about the services the TRN could offer and provide a pathway into the community and the school, which proved pivotal. The school system readily offered space for their students, their families, and their staff to access services.

Within a week of the school shooting, Andy and Brianna, along with co-coordinator Denise Houston and consultant Lauren Stinson had planned and organized the following activities:

  • Crisis counseling for students and caregivers
  • A community offering that provided individual EMDR therapy to anyone in the community
  • Group Traumatic Episode Protocol (GTEP) EMDR to AHS school staff

As time has gone on, with continued need in the community, the TRN has continued to offer services aimed at supporting different individuals and groups. Some of these events were:

  • Helping the Helpers Events: Providing free EMDR therapy for teachers, caregivers, school counselors, administration, and first responders. These events were specifically designed to address the unique needs of those who are helping others in times of crisis.
  • EMDR Therapy for Students & Caregivers: Offering individual EMDR therapy for students and their families who survived the traumatic events, as well as group therapy sessions for caregivers. These events were also enriched with additional services, such as therapy dogs, trauma-informed yoga, and a community trauma Q&A to help caregivers better understand how to support their children.
  • Ongoing Therapy Events for School Staff: Free EMDR therapy sessions offered to school staff, including teachers and administrators, to help them cope with the emotional impact of trauma.
  • Specialized EMDR Therapy for First Responders: Providing first responders with individual and group EMDR therapy to address the emotional challenges they face in their critical roles.

TRN coordinators and members were extremely resourceful and collaborative throughout this response. Coordinator Brianna shared one administrative approach that proved very effective, “We decided to allow any EMDR therapist who wanted to volunteer to be part of our ‘admin team’ at our various offerings. This team assisted with event registration, checking in the clients at each event, assisting them with completing consent paperwork, translating consent forms if needed, and guiding clients to/from the EMDR therapy rooms at our events.”

Furthermore, TRN leadership also offered brief reviews of Early Intervention Protocols for TRN volunteer members via Zoom in an effort to encourage volunteer participation and avoid burnout of those who consistently volunteered.

As time passes, the TRN continues to offer their services to community members. Many of the above events are ongoing, intending to provide consistent support for individuals as they continue their healing journey.

Making an Impact

Co-coordinator Denise Houston shares that the community has been very receptive to the help offered by their combined TRN. Many individuals have expressed their gratitude for the therapy sessions and the overall education on trauma.

“Teachers were particularly appreciative of the services offered as they immediately had to return to the classroom. One teacher shared that after an ASSYST individual session the first day we offered services she had not thought she would be able to return to work prior to the session but felt such relief after that she planned to return to the classroom the next day,” shared Denise.

Another parent expressed how clear-headed and relieved they felt after participating in a one-hour ASSYST Group Protocol. They were able to resume normal daily activities with their family after the session and were looking forward to their child participating in an EMDR therapy session, with the knowledge it would also greatly help with their healing.

TRN Consultant, Lauren Stinson, shared the remarkable progress she witnessed  working with an adolescent student. “My individual TRN client has completed trauma therapy around the school incident after five individual sessions, reporting no more flashbacks or nightmares. They did say they still have triggers at school when loud, unexpected noises occur but quickly resets to calm again. We discussed coping skills and what to do if anything intrusive comes up that they need help managing. But they are doing really well. I’m very excited for their progress and am reminded why working with teenagers is so rewarding.”

The progress and healing TRN members are seeing in the community further supports the effectiveness of EMDR therapy and the Trauma Recovery Network as an effective, important mental health disaster response structure. We congratulate the Atlanta and Athens Area Trauma Recovery Networks for their dedication to serving those in need and for their remarkable efforts to address and treat trauma in the Winder, GA community.

A special thank you to the following TRN members for contributing to this article:

Edward “Andy” Anderson, LPC
Denise Houston, LPC, CPCS
Brianna Sterling, LCSW
Lauren Stinson, LPC, CPCS

EMDR therapy and Early Intervention Protocols can be life-changing, offering hope and healing to individuals and communities after a traumatic experience. However, the success of these efforts relies heavily on the continued support of dedicated volunteers, donors, and community partners. If you are looking to make a difference and help those in need, there are many ways you can get involved and support the work of the Trauma Recovery Network.

3 Ways to Support the Trauma Recovery Network

  1. Volunteer: If you are a trained EMDR therapist (having completed both Part I and Part II) you can join your local TRN as a volunteer member. We currently have more than 60 TRNs through the United States and Canada. Click here to create a Volunteer Account and Apply to Join your local TRN.
  2. Start a TRN: If there is no TRN Association in your state or county, we can help you start one! Find out more about the process to start a TRN Association here.
  3. Donate: If you cannot volunteer your time as a TRN member, you might consider making a donation to the Francine Shapiro Disaster Recovery Memorial Fund. All donations to this fund support our disaster preparedness and recovery efforts, in particular the work of our Trauma Recovery Network.