The Dialogue: Mass Violence Events
Mass Violence Events
In the past several years, we have seen a rise in shootings and other mass violence events. The impact of these highly publicized events may be far reaching, but recovery for communities and survivors is possible. As these articles from the field demonstrate, preplanning and strong partnerships are crucial to an effective immediate response and long-term recovery.
This issue of The Dialogue from SAMHSA's Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC) brings you stories of responses to mass violence in communities across the United States. It focuses on lessons learned from these events and includes information that may be helpful in your behavioral health planning efforts.
Have you taken a look back at past incidents in your community and thought about what could have been done better or what worked well? Do you have important lessons learned that SAMHSA DTAC can highlight in future issues of this newsletter? Please share your experience via email to
DTAC@samhsa.hhs.gov. Selected reader comments will be printed in a future edition of
The Dialogue.
Issue Highlights
Since Columbine: Evolution of Colorado's Disaster Behavioral Health Response
The Colorado state disaster behavioral health coordinator provides readers with an overview of the lessons learned over the years from multiple mass violence events. Successful partnerships and training played a key role in the success of their response.
The Aftermath of the Virginia Tech Shootings
A Virginia Tech psychology professor describes the response and recovery efforts after the April 16, 2007, shootings. He highlights actions and activities that helped in the recovery process.
Lessons Learned From the Boston Marathon Bombing Victim Services Program
Successes and lessons learned are discussed in this article that highlights the response activities of the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
Tragedy in the Sanctuary
The executive director of the Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center shares lessons learned from the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church shooting response.
Terror Attack at Work
San Bernardino Department of Public Health's response to the December 2, 2015, terrorist attack shows how planning and developing scalable emergency plans leads to an effective response.
Interview: Disaster Behavioral Health Challenges Encountered During the Response to the Pulse Nightclub Shooting in Florida
SAMHSA DTAC talks with Orlando Health's emergency manager about the response efforts after the Pulse Nightclub shooting.
Recommended Resources
This part of the Disaster-Specific Resources installment of the SAMHSA Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series features resources about mass violence. The collection includes websites, tip sheets, toolkits, manuals, and videos about incidents of mass violence and their mental health and substance use (behavioral health) effects, school crisis response, coping with reactions to an incident of mass violence, and supporting children in coping.
SAMHSA's National Child Traumatic Stress Network provides links to tip sheets and information about how incidents of mass violence may affect children and families, how parents and other caregivers can support children in coping, and helping children and adolescents who were injured in mass violence incidents. Also included are materials for school staff and pediatric providers.
In this article, the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder explains the ways in which veterans may react slightly differently from the rest of the population to incidents of mass violence, terrorism, and war. Authors present research findings about how these incidents may affect veterans differently, and they provide suggestions for veterans for coping with their reactions, finding additional help, and supporting children and members of their communities.
About The Dialogue
The Dialogue, a quarterly technical assistance journal, is an arena for professionals in the disaster behavioral health field to share information, resources, trends, solutions to problems, and accomplishments.
