City offers trauma coping and counseling resources as anniversary of marathon attack approaches
Free and confidential support available in-person, over the phone, and online
BOSTON
– To help support the emotional wellness of residents and community
members around the upcoming anniversary of the 2013 Boston Marathon
bombings, the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) has organized a set
of free and confidential resources for the public. Starting tonight,
there will be a series of neighborhood workshops focused on general
emergency preparedness and resilience, a community forum near Copley
Square to address mental health concerns around the anniversary, and
drop-in and over-the-phone counseling offered by trained clinicians.
Tips and additional resources to help adults and children cope with
trauma are available online at www.BPHC.org.
BPHC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness will sponsor three community preparedness and resilience workshops through its “Get Ready, Be Safe, Stay Healthy” initiative.
The workshops offer a mix of resources that are both specific to the
marathon anniversary and useful for dealing with other traumatic
experiences. The sessions will include information on coping,
self-care, and recognizing when additional assistance might be needed.
The schedule of workshops is as follows:
Tuesday, April 8 at 7:00 p.m.
BCYF Mildred Avenue Community Center
5 Mildred Avenue, Mattapan
*In partnership with the Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition
Thursday, April 10 at 6:00 p.m.
BCYF Grove Hall Community Center
51 Geneva Avenue, Roxbury
*In partnership with Project RIGHT
Monday, April 14 at 7:00 p.m.
The Salvation Army Kroc Center
650 Dudley Street, Dorchester
“We
understand that the anniversary may trigger a lot of emotions for
anyone impacted by last year’s attack, and we want to make sure people
have access to the support that they may need,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer,
executive director of BPHC. “We also recognize that certain
communities are exposed to trauma and violence on an ongoing basis, and
we hope that our workshops give people some tools to build resilience
and care for loved ones.”
There
will be a community forum this Friday, April 11 from 12:00-2:00 p.m. at
the YWCA, located at 140 Clarendon Street. The forum, which will be
led by a licensed mental health clinician, is an opportunity for Copley
area residents and community members to learn coping strategies for
addressing trauma. The first anniversary of a disaster is often the
hardest for survivors because it can be difficult to know how to mark
the event. People may experience a range of emotions in such
situations, and clinicians will be able to help attendees process those
feelings.
For
the next several weeks, BPHC will also provide drop-in counseling
services each Tuesday evening in the McKim Courtyard Room of the main
branch of the Boston Public Library in Copley Square. No appointment is
necessary for the free sessions, which will take place from 5:00-7:00
p.m. on Tuesday April 8, 15, 22, and 29.
Starting
next week, clinicians with the Mayor’s Health Line will offer
phone-based counseling. The Mayor’s Health Line is open on weekdays
from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and clinicians will return any messages
left afterhours on the following day. People are encouraged to call
617-534-5050 to speak with a clinician.
On
Marathon Monday (April 21), the hotline will be staffed with clinicians
from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. In-person drop-in counseling will be
offered during the same time that day at Our Lady of Victories Church,
located at 27 Isabella Street near Copley Square.
Last
year, BPHC and partners from the American Red Cross, the Massachusetts
Department of Public Health, Riverside Community Care, the Salvation
Army, and the U.S. Health and Human Services Mental Health Team
delivered over 600 hours of counseling to thousands of people in the
days after the bombings.
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