While many students across the Houston area are heading back to school this week, Texas Children’s Trauma and Grief Center (TAG) is helping students at Santa Fe High School emotionally and mentally prepare for the new school year following the tragic events that unfolded on campus three months ago.
Texas Children’s TAG Center has been partnering with other organizations in the Santa Fe community, including the Gulf Coast Center, to support the Santa Fe Strong Resiliency Center. Created in the aftermath of the Santa Fe school shooting, the Resiliency Center provides mental health services to those impacted by this tragedy.
“The impact this tragedy left behind is significant and it will take time for everyone to heal and adjust,” said Dr. Julie Kaplow, director of Texas Children’s TAG Center. “As Santa Fe students return to classes this week, we have TAG Center clinicians on hand at the high school – and across the Santa Fe school district – to provide emotional support to students, teachers and families who need it.”
Last week, Kaplow met with Santa Fe parents at a back-to-school meeting to discuss what to expect as their children return to school, the red flags they need to be aware of, how they can help their children transition back to school following this tragedy, and how to help their kids feel safe and secure.
“It’s been a very busy few weeks for our team,” said Kaplow. “Our TAG Center clinicians are continuing to provide trauma- and grief-informed assessment and intervention, both within the Resiliency Center as well as Santa Fe High School, and we’re providing on-going training and consultation to therapists serving the Santa Fe community.”
While the healing time from a school tragedy like this is different for each person impacted, Kaplow and her team will continue to partner with the Santa Fe community to provide services to these children.
In addition to these collaborative efforts, Kaplow says the Texas Children’s TAG Center plans to conduct a large-scale needs assessment across the Santa Fe school district that will help identify those students who are struggling the most and ensure they have access to the intervention they need close to home.
Click here for more information about Texas Children’s TAG Center.