Coping With This Tragedy

The magnitude of this national tragedy has left many of us deeply saddened, and at a loss as to how best explain these events to our children. BAC’s Member Assistance Program (MAP) is available to help our members and their families through this difficult time:

• MAP services are offered at no cost, and all calls are kept strictly confidential. MAP generally accepts calls Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST. Call MAP today toll-free: 1-888-880-8222. “Just ask for MAP.”

In addition, the American Federation of Teachers, which lost members on September 11, have identified several on-line resources to help parents talk to their children about this tragedy:

• The AFT-affiliated New York State Psychological Association (www.nyspa.org) provides tips for talking with children about traumatic events.
• The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry publishes “Helping Children After a Disaster” (www.aacap.org/ publications/factsfam/disaster.htm) and “Children and Grief.” (www.aacap.org/publications/factsfam/grief.htm)
• The National Association of School Psychologists (www.nasponline.org/index2.html) provides advice for adults, parents and schools in discussing recent tragic events.
• The National Mental Health Association (www.nmha.org/
  terrorism.cfm) provides additional resources on disaster-related anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
• MHN Inc., (mhn.com/mainWelcome.htm) which provides mental health services for Employee Assistance Programs, has posted a number of helpful materials online, including “After a Disaster—A Guide for Parents and Teachers,” “Talking with Kids About Terrorism,” and more.
• Helping Children Understand the Terrorist Attacks (ed.gov/inits/september11/index.html) is a new website sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education that provides information resources to parents and teachers to help children deal with the effects of the attacks.