We often interact with victims of school violence.  Our involvement is along the entire engagement spectrum.  Post Incident Analysis suggests some of these acts may have been preventable.

School Psychologist Tom Brant co-wrote this article with Stephen E. Brock suggesting four improvements:

1. Offer a continuum of school and community mental-health supports.
2. Broaden access to school mental-health supports beyond special education.
3. Improve school-community collaboration to provide integrated and coordinated mental-health care.
4. Empower families to manage the myriad decisions and resources they need to meet their child’s mental-health needs.

“When it comes to ensuring student success, mental health matters, and educators should be leaders, not bystanders, in this effort.”

What do you think?

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/01/21/four-ways-to-improve-student-mental-health-support.html?tkn=XTXFExQ66q34CSNp2zJowbsWxGzpP2tB3YB4&print=1

K9 First Responders’ job is not to provide therapy or mental health counseling.  Our goal is to be a “bridge” to additional assistance. Whether that be mental health response teams yet to arrive or someone wanting to speak to a mental health specialist.

Our teams employ the concept “Getting back to even…”  This approach assists a person to a “place” where he/she is less stressed.  Increases the ability for one to process emotions and information.  Provides a sense of increased stability.

What exactly is “Getting back to even…”?  An approach to help re-establish emotional and cognitive equilibrium to a person impacted by psychological trauma.

First Responders and Disaster Behavioral Health Response Teams witness many traumatic events.  In the days after the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, Counselors met with 1,300+ people including Sandy Hook Elementary School students, teachers, staff and First Responders.

Counselors saw the victims’ anguish and listened to their pain.  They comforted First Responders trying to process what they saw.

Counselors feel the impact but multiplied by many sessions.

Who takes care of them?  Self-care and peer support is an important aspect of staying well.  One aspect of self-care is spending time with a four-legged friend.

Below is a Wellmore Behavioral Health counselor de-stressing with K9 Spartacus after a day at the Crisis Center. Sometimes the comfort of a dog does more than anything else…

The bond between man and dog is undeniable.  An interesting article about this bond.

http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/how-improve-your-bond-your-dog/69308

Our teams know the answer to this question.  Science is starting to take notice too.

http://www.livescience.com/20823-canine-comfort-dogs-understand-emotion.html

K9 First Responders help foster resilience of communities and individuals.  What does this mean?

This PBS article shares some thoughts…  What do you think?

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/body/mental-resilience/

Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded…

It is a relationship between equals.  Pema Chodron

Discussion with our teams, instructors, partners and those we serve brought forth several commonalities of an effective K9FR team.

~ Dedication to the human spirit.
~ Passion about the K9FR concept and process.
~ The ability to relate to a variety of people and situations while simultaneously utilizing multiple skill sets to connect and engage with those in need.
~ Commitment to quality service, performance standards and critical thinking.
~ A background and life experiences that compliments the K9 First Responders, Inc. mission.
~ A dog (partner) that engages in a variety of environments and situations with a calming demeanor all the while connecting with those we serve.
~ Understanding that we are only as successful as the last person we support.

K9 First Responders had the humble privileged of supporting the Settembri Family and Cheshire High School after their loss.  Our thoughts and prayers are with them.  May the memories of happier times comfort all in the days ahead.

http://www.myrecordjournal.com/news/latestnews/6470842-129/cheshire-teen-remembered-at-vigil.html

The senseless killings of NYPD Officers Liu & Ramos are beyond comprehension.  Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, loved ones and the NYPD.