With the impact of the American Airlines crash reverberating across the D.C. region, residents are being called on to lend support to one another and seek community in their time of grief in the days and weeks to come.
Northern Virginia school communities are working to support students after learning the flight involved in Wednesday night’s crash was carrying some of their classmates.
In a letter to families on Thursday, Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid said three students and six parents were on board the American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas. They haven’t been publicly identified yet.
Virginia’s largest school division is sending crisis counselors and teams to the schools that are “most directly impacted,” Reid told WTOP, and they’re making counseling services available for staff members “should they feel anxious and concerned as well.”
“It’s important to come together, to share resources, to share support, to be present for one another, and often simply to listen to the concerns and the really deep-seated grief and fear that many in our community are feeling right now,” Reid said.
The school district, Reid said, has tele-mental health services available for students, and is sharing links to other resources online. One link takes viewers to a page with tips for how to talk to children about challenging topics.
“In a community, there are many people willing to help and listen,” Reid said. “Neighbors, faith leaders, folks in all professions and walks of life that are grieving together and want to help. Reach out to a trusted adult or a trusted friend and that will help ease the anxiety and guide us through these times.”
Reid is continuing to communicate with staff, too, “because sometimes there are rumors out there that are not factual, and we want to make sure that our staff and our community have access to the facts.”
Meanwhile, Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Aaron Spence said several of the passengers had been former students in the county school system. He’s urging staff to use the employee assistance program, and is encouraging students who need the extra support to email the school division.
More information on resources for Fairfax and Loudoun county students is available online.
Therapist warns against grieving through stressful times alone
Whether it’s the hundreds of families now grieving the loss of a relative or friend, or the millions of people from around the District sharing some of the pain they’re feeling, there’s a lot of emotions that need to be coped with.
In times like this, finding your community and relying on them to help you process becomes extremely important.
“When it comes down to those more vulnerable emotions and experiences, whether it’s frustration, sadness, turning to people that you trust, that you have some sort of emotional history with,” becomes that much more important, according to Tiara Fennell, clinic director for the Center for Healthy Families at the University of Maryland.
The person you turn to should be someone you can express your emotions to and, even if it’s not the most coherent or healthy, won’t judge you since they know who you really are and what you’re going through, she said.
It’s OK to take your time getting to that point as well.
Fennell said some people might take a while to sort out their emotions and be able to put into words how they feel. If you can’t do that right away, it’s understandable. But, she also said, eventually, you do have to get to that point.
“I think there’s a thin line between internally processing and just avoiding,” Fennell said.
She also believes that you might be pleasantly surprised by the support that’s waiting for you, if you are struggling right now. Turbulent moments, whether you’re directly impacted or just empathizing with someone who has been, can bring out the best in others.
“There’s still compassion, empathy, there’s still people who want to be kind to one another and to be supportive of one another, whether or not I have a personal relationship with you or not,” Fennell said. “I personally believe for us to see a shift and change in the world, the way that we want and in our society, that’s where it begins.
“We become our best when we have to respond to these negative things that happen,” she said. “I hope it’s something that we continue to hold on to.”
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