Helping Children Cope After a Traumatic Event


After this weekends mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton, adding to the list of many traumatic shootings in the United States, it is important to provide comfort to children, help manage their fears, and guide them through grief. 

This Child Mind Institute, with input from psychiatrists, psychologists and mental health experts who specialize in crisis situations, created a resource to help children cope after a traumatic event. This guide offers simple tips on what to expect, what to do and what to look out for. If you or your children require assistance from a mental health professional, do not hesitate to ask a doctor or other health care provider for a recommendation.
Help for EMS after a Pediatric Death
Compassionate Options for Pediatric EMS (COPE)
A team led by Mary Fallat, M.D., a pediatric surgeon in Louisville, KY, was awarded federal funding (HRSA TI Grant) to develop a searchable, mobile delivery system to equip EMS personnel before, during, and after they encounter an out-of-hospital pediatric death. The training system includes scenario-based videos that review communication essentials, point-of-care options for EMS to assist families with "next steps" after a death, and a section on self-help skills to mitigate personal secondary trauma that can lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). 

The delivery system incorporates principles of good prehospital communication skills referred to as "teaching moments".The materials developed with the prior funding can be viewed on an open access website at Kentucky Board of EMS .  For more information and links for the training, please click here.
The EMSC Innovation & Improvement Center (EIIC) is supported in part by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Maternal and Child Health Bureau Emergency Medical Services for Children grant number U07MC29829. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.