This resource list has been compiled by New York State Youth Services Librarians with the help of community partners. For books to share, please visit your local library and the Monroe County Library System Overdrive site for a list of books to inspire resilience in children.

Organizations & Lists of Resources

• Brooklyn Public Library: Talking About Gun Violence with Children: Supporting Early Conversations – many excellent resources in here
  • Of note: American Red Cross – Helping Children Cope with Disaster (available in):
    • English 
    • Chinese 
    • Korean 
    • Spanish 
    • Tagalog 
    • Vietnamese
• NCLA-Duke National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (website going up and down today, probably due to heavy traffic)
• WeRepair.org: Talking to Kids About Gun Violence (includes resource list)
• American Psychological Association (APA) Resources for Coping with Mass Shootings, Understanding Gun Violence
• ¡Colorín Colorado!: 15 Tips for Talking with Children About Violence |  En Español
  • Includes resources specific to Uvalde & Buffalo shootings
• Society of Pediatric Nurses Gun Violence Resources
• SAHM Mental Health Resources for Adolescents and Young Adults – lots of resources in here
• ALSC Tough Topics Booklists (includes lists for gr. K-2, 3-5 & 6-8) – each list includes resources at the end

Also see NCTSN list below.

Articles & Individual Resources

• Sesame Street in Communities: Traumatic Experiences
• NPR: An Expert in Child Trauma Looks at How Parents Can Support Kids in Uvalde and Elsewhere
• Child Mind Institute – How to Talk to Kids About School Shootings – includes help for parents/caregivers to reduce their own anxiety
• Boston Globe: How to Talk to Kids About Gun Violence
• (Healthychildren.org) For Teens: Creating Your Personal Stress-Management Plan
• Mental Health First Aid: Five Tips to Help Teens Cope with Stress
• Talking to Kids About Tragedies in the News (such as shootings)

Miscellaneous & Book Lists

• First Book- Using Books to Support Students Through Grief Loss and Healing | En Español
• Sesame Street Monster Meditations YouTube Playlist
• ALSC Tough Topics Booklists – includes lists for gr. K-2, 3-5 & 6-8
• NowPsych 12 Anxiety Books for Teens
• #ARMMEWITHGAMES: Leading game designers, researchers, and educators recommend 20 empathy and social-emotional learning games for young people growing up in the shadow of lockdown drills and school shootings. Includes games for High School, Middle School & Up, and Elementary School.

National Child Traumatic Stress Network Resource List

In response to the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde Texas, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network has developed resources to help children, families, educators, and communities navigate what they are seeing and hearing, acknowledge their feelings, and find ways to cope together. These resources include:

• Talking to Children About the Shooting
• Helping Youth After a Community Trauma: Tips for Educators | En Español
• Talking to Children: When Scary Things Happen | En Español
• Talking to Teens About Violence | En Español
• Tips for Talking to Students About Violence
• Coping After Mass Violence: For Adults
• For Teens: Coping After Mass Violence | En Español
• Helping School-Age Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers | En Español
• Helping Teens with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers | En Español
• Helping Young Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers | En Español
• Guiding Adults in Talking to Children About Death and Attending Services
• After a Crisis: Helping Young Children Heal
• Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event
• Once I Was Very Very Scared – children’s book for young children
• After the Injury—website for families with injured children
• Health Care Toolbox—website for pediatric health providers working with injured children
• Pause-Reset-Nourish (PRN) to Promote Wellbeing | En Español (for responders)

Psychological First Aid

The NCTSN also has resources for responders on Psychological First Aid (PFA) | En Español intervention to support children, adolescents, adults, and families impacted by these types of events. PFA Mobile and the PFA Wallet Card | En Español provide a quick reminder of the core actions. The PFA online training course is also available on the NCTSN Learning Center.

Additional PFA resources for schools include:

• Psychological First Aid for Schools (PFA-S) – Field operations guide
• Providing PFA-S: For Health-Related Professionals – handout
• Providing PFA-S: For Principals and Administrators – handout
• Providing PFA-S: For School Support Staff – handout
• Providing PFA-S: For Teachers – handout

From the National Association of School Psychologist

• Recovery from Large-Scale Crisis
• Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents & Teachers
• Responding to a Mass Casualty Event at a School
• School Safety Drills for Students with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
• Using Social Media Before, During, and After a Crisis

From the National Mass Violence and Victimization Resource Center

• Transcend (mobile app to assist with recovery after mass violence)
• Rebuild Your Community: Resources for Community Leaders
• Media Guidelines for Homicide Family Survivors
• Timeline of Activities to Promote Mental Health Recovery
• Self-Help: Resources for Survivors
• E-learning Courses: Trainings for Clinicians
• Resources for Victim Assistance Professionals

From the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress at the Uniformed Services University

• Grief Leadership: Leadership in the Wake of Tragedy
• Leadership Communication: Anticipating and Responding to Stressful Events
• Coping with Stress Following a Mass Shooting

Disaster Helpline

SAMHSA has a Disaster Distress Helpline – call or text 1-800-985-5990 (for Spanish, press “2”) to be connected to a trained counselor 24/7/365.