The Practice Directorate has received numerous inquiries from practitioners who are looking for resources and volunteering their services to help in the aftermath of the tragic events of Tuesday, September 11.

In response, and through the combined efforts of the APA Disaster Response Network (DRN) and the Public Education Campaign network, the Directorate has developed materials for APA members to use in facilitating group discussions with youth about the events of this week. There are several reasons for the focus on youth reactions to this tragedy. First, there are many requests for information coming into APA, state psychological associations and individual APA members centered around how to talk to youth about Tuesday’s events. Second, many APA members involved in the Warning Signs youth anti-violence component of the Public Education Campaign have already developed relationships with their local schools, which would enable them to use these materials quickly. Third, by facilitating youth discussions, psychologists can provide a tangible and needed service in their local communities, without overwhelming disaster response centers that may already have more volunteers than they can work with.

The links below take readers to materials designed to help kids cope with the trauma of terrorism and recent related events:

• Coping with Terrorism
• A Forum Discussion Guide for APA Members: "Talking With Youth About Traumatic Events"
• Resources on Coping with Traumatic Events
• Suggested Steps for Reaching Out to Schools
• Reactions and Guidelines for Children Following Trauma/Disaster

Please visit the APA Help Center, APAHelpCenter.org, for additional information on the trauma of terrorism that is useful to the general public.