This blog has been two months in the making. Last year, in celebration of Pride Month and support of LGBTQ+ Awareness, W.A.G.S. 4 Kids released “Inclusion Always, In All Ways”. A look behind the addage that we use regularly at W.A.G.S. 4 Kids where acts of inclusion can and should be practiced everyday, by everyone. We encourage parents to teach their children how to be inclusive - and accepting - from a young age.

This could not be more applicable than in the current discussions surrounding our schools and in our living rooms. The mass/school shootings that occurred in Buffalo, Uvalde and Oklahoma as well as the violence happening in our community and across the nation every day have created a need for additional education, understanding, information and support. These traumatic events and everyday stressors can impact our mental health and it is
important to know what resources are available to help.

It’s enough. The thinking and praying – it’s enough.

Ten years ago we came together as a community in the aftershock of the Chardon High School Shootings. We hugged, we prayed, we swore it would never happen again. Months later, Nick Walczak stood on stage with other speakers in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting, his W.A.G.S. 4 Kids service dog, Turner, by his side. Sandy Hook is now just one of the most deadly shootings in America’s history since Columbine with nine families of the Sandy Hook mass shootings victims recently reaching a $73 million liability settlement with Remington Arms, maker of the rifle used to kill 20 first-graders and six teachers. Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control, reports that the “first half of the 2021-2022 school year had the most school gun violence in recent history.” The Sandy Hook Promise – made and broken. We rage, we grieve, we demand change and ultimately – change doesn’t ever come.

Last month, W.A.G.S.' Executive Director, Sera Nelson, was honored to stand in front of the Kiwanis Club of Middleburg Heights where we have been invited to speak for over 15 years. It is an amazing organization founded on the ideal of kindness creating change in the lives of their community and its children. Among its diverse membership sits a current police officer – who had returned from retirement to specialize in de-escalation. More specifically, in the art of predicting and pre-empting these tragic events. He was kind enough to speak more in-depth with us following the Uvalde shooting and recommend several resources for positive prevention strategies to share here for our W.A.G.S. community of parents to feel more empowered and purposeful.

As the school year ends, there seems to be one over-arching theme: for many students, kindness, not content or curriculum, is what they remember.

Here are five positive prevention strategies to help reduce school violence.

1. Be kind. Rachel Scott, who was the first student killed in the Columbine High School shootings, left a note in her bookbag that said, “With kindness, you may just start a chain reaction.” Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “You cannot do kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.”
2. Be aware. Situational awareness is knowing what is going on around us. It helps keep you and others safe. As you read this article, what is happening around you? What do you see? What do you hear? What would you do if you suddenly feel unsafe? Do you plan an escape route when you enter new surroundings?
3. Be assertive. If you see or hear something, whether it be bullying, threats, weapons, or concerning behaviors, say or send something. The 2021 National Threat Assessment Center’s “Averting Targeted School Violence, A U. S. Secret Service Analysis of Plots Against Schools” reported that 94% of the students who plotted school attacks shared their intentions about carrying out an attack targeting the school in various ways, including verbal statements, electronic messaging and online posts.
4. Be prepared, not scared. Practice updated emergency response plans that are based on research and reality. All staff and students need to be well trained and ready to respond to any emergency, including suicide risk management. Comprehensive community and school safety programs, with hardware and heart ware, need to be built-in — not tacked-on. As we often see with destructive risk behaviors, hurt people hurt people. The use of mental health professionals, such as school counselors, social workers, nurses, and psychologists, as well as trained school resource officers, may enable us to help people help people. Today, behavioral threat assessment tools offer new solutions for old problems.
5. Be an advocate for safe schools. Denial remains a huge issue. After a shooting, often you will hear, “I can’t believe it can happen here.” But it did. Be proactive, not reactive. The word ‘crisis,’ written in Chinese, has two characters: one represents danger and the other represents opportunity. Let’s make use of the dangers found in our school shooting crises as an opportunity to help make our schools safe and healthy so our kids can learn more and live better.

(“5 Positive Prevention Strategies” Originally Published by Dr. Stephen Sroka is an adjunct assistant professor, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, and president of Health Education Consultants.)

Gun violence in schools has been a growing concern for years and has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Understanding that each household is unique and with all due respect, considering the high-profile school shooting tragedies, here are 7 Tips for Parents, Teachers, and everyone for talking to kids about mass shootings.

Supporting Youth at W.A.G.S. 4 Kids

At W.A.G.S. 4 Kids, we’re continuing to work toward making our organization as equitable and inclusive as possible. As part of our efforts to improve our organization’s inclusivity, we want to promote helpful education and provide our community with resources where they can find support.

Please visit the sites below to access helpful resources for education and support as recommended by the ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County.

Having Suicidal or Hopeless Thoughts? Get Help Immediately!

Suicidal thoughts or prolonged bouts of depression, anxiety or hopelessness indicate a need for help from a professional. Please seek help as soon as you notice these symptoms in yourself or a loved one. In Cuyahoga County, please call 216-623-6888 or text 741741 for crisis support or referral to services. Don’t suffer alone. Get help. Life is Better with You Here.

Local Resource Available for Cuyahoga County Residents:

• The 24-hour Suicide Prevention, Mental Health/Addiction Crisis, Information and Referral Hotline operated by FrontLine Service: Call (216) 623-6888. This is also the number to call for a Cuyahoga County Diversion Center screening.

• The 24-hour Warmline: Call 440-886-5950. Operated by Thrive Peer Recovery Services, this number gives people living with mental health or substance use disorders the chance to talk though things with a peer supporter. This is a great way to connect with others and discuss topics that may be concerning you.

• Lifeline Crisis Chat: Lifeline Chat is a service of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, connecting individuals with counselors for emotional support and other services via web chat. Lifeline Chat is available 24/7. suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat

• Traumatic Loss Response Team: The Traumatic Loss Response Team (TLRT), operated by FrontLine Service in partnership with the Cuyahoga County Witness/Victim Service Center and the Cleveland Division of Police, has a wide array of services available that address the practical and emotional needs of individuals and families after a sudden, traumatic loss. If you or someone you know has experienced a sudden, traumatic loss because of a homicide or a child fatality, TLRT can help.

• Cornerstone of Hope offers a wide variety of grief support groups, including ADAMHS Board funded Traumatic Loss Support Groups for people who have lost someone to homicide, overdose and/or suicide.

National Resources for Coping with Traumatic Events, Disasters and Mass Violence

• Coping Tips for Traumatic Events and Disasters: Emotional distress can happen before and after a disaster. Coping strategies include preparation, self-care, and identifying support systems.

• Incidents of Mass Violence: Learn about who is most at risk for emotional distress from incidents of mass violence and where to find disaster-related resources.

• Tips for Talking With and Helping Children and Youth Cope After a Disaster or Traumatic Event: A Guide for Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers: This fact sheet helps parents and teachers recognize common reactions of children after experiencing a disaster or traumatic event. It highlights reactions by age group, offers tips for how to respond in a helpful way, and recommends when to seek support.

• SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline: SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline provides 24/7, 365-day-a-year crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters. Call 1-800-985-5990.

• SAMHSA Disaster Resources en Español: La Línea de Ayuda para los Afectados por Catástrofes ofrece asesoramiento y apoyo gratis 24/7/365 a las personas afectadas emocionalmente luego de un desastre natural o provocado por el ser humano. Llama o envía un mensaje de texto 1-800-985-5990 presiona “2.”