As the initial shock of the fatal school shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School begins to fade, many in St. Louis are looking for guidance as they grieve and help their loved ones cope in the aftermath.
Students and staff are traumatized, parents want to help with their children's healing, and local experts want to lend their skillsets. St. Louis Public Radio is organizing a community event to bring us all under the same roof and connect residents with local experts and organizations that specialize in helping people navigate trauma and grief.
The event will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 3 at the St. Louis Public Library-Carpenter Library on South Grand Boulevard.
The program will begin with a Q&A session where parents and children can ask local experts about trauma symptoms to look for in themselves or loved ones in the weeks and months ahead and for other insights about the grieving process. Dr. Marva Robinson of the St. Louis Association of Black Psychologists, and Dr. Matthew Kliethermes, training director at Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis, will lead the session.
Afterward, people can connect with local organizations set up around the event space. Organizations committed to attending the event include the Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis, The Collective STL, Saint Louis Story Stitchers, The T and The BRIC, St. Louis Behavioral Health Response, The Village Path, Annie’s Hope – The Center for Grieving Kids, Greater St. Louis Trauma Recovery Network, and Keep Healing And Overcoming Struggles STL.
If you are an organization interested in having a table at this event, or have an idea of what else to include in the event’s program, please contact STLPR Engagement Editor Lara Hamdan at lhamdan@stlpr.org.
