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Newtown Shooting Aftermath

Dec. 17, 2012

News Highlights Fairfax County mourns with Newtown, Conn., and the country; flags at half-staff. Police presence increased at schools this week; no known threats. Learn who to call for mental health needs; sign up for a Mental Health First Aid class. County Chaplain Corps trained to respond to incidents.

Fairfax County's thoughts and hearts are with the victims, families and community of Newtown, Conn., in the wake of the awful tragedy on Friday.

There are a number of ways Fairfax County is working in the aftermath of the shootings.

Police Presence at Schools

At all schools this week, the Fairfax County Police Department increased visibility strictly for precaution and reassurance. There are no known threats. If there is any type of emergency, call 9-1-1 immediately.

• More details about Fairfax County Public Schools' response to the shooting

 

Helping Children

Our children may have many questions about what happened in Newtown. Here are some suggestions in helping your child manage distress in the aftermath of a shooting.

 

Mental Health Resources

Fairfax County is concerned about the mental health and wellness of all community members and help is available to residents who need mental health services. Every year, thousands of people benefit from these services. CSB programs assist people of all ages, in all types of situations that include before, during, and after crisis. This information is intended to help raise the level of awareness about mental health resources in our community.

Who Can I Contact?

• Learn about more resources available in the community
• CrisisLink -- 703-527-4077
• The Community Services Board (CSB) Entry and Referral Services (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.) -- 703-383-8500, TTY 711. This is the starting point for accessing mental health, intellectual disability or substance abuse services through the CSB. Staff can take calls in English and Spanish, and access other languages when needed.
• CSB Emergency Services (24 hours) -- 703-573-5679, TTY 703-207-7737

 

Mental Health First Aid Classes

You are more likely to encounter someone experiencing a mental health crisis than someone having a heart attack.

Mental Health First Aid teaches you about common warning signs and risk factors for mental health problems and provides a five-step action plan and resources for helping someone in crisis. Whether you are a first responder, teacher, faith community leader, human resources professional, parent, employer, coworker, or caring community member, this two-day,12-hour
certification course has information everyone can use.

Sometimes, the best first aid is you. Take the course, save a life, strengthen your community.

• Register for classes held scheduled from January through June

CSB can also customize Mental Health First Aid courses for groups – contact Jamie MacDonald for more information.

Learn more about the classes in this quick video:

 

 

SACC Centers

The School Aged Child Care program coordinates with Fairfax County Public Schools regarding facilities and security and will continue to place paramount importance on the safety and well-being of children, families and staff. FCPS has uniformed security staff patrolling all elementary schools during regular school hours and all FCPS facilities after hours.

 

Chaplain Corps

We've seen Newtown's chaplains working together to provide comfort. Here in Fairfax County just a few weeks ago, our Chaplain Corps held a training to better respond to mass shootings. Learn more about the work of the county's Chaplain Corps in this video:

 

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