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City of Jacksonville sponsoring childhood trauma response team

A city-sponsored trauma response team dedicated to helping kids process grief in wake of witnessing violence is working actively in Jacksonville.

Seven therapists and caseworkers at Northwest Behavioral Center say they’re called out to active scenes by police when a child has witnessed a homicide or suicide.

They’ve been contracted by the city of Jacksonville to help children process their grief in a way that’s healthy and shepherd families through the grieving process.

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They say doing so can prevent children from acting out, or possibly committing acts violence, in the future.

The Kids Hope Alliance granted Northwest Behavioral Center $10,000 to launch the response team as one of a number of Stop the Violence minigrants disbursed in recent months.

The team responded to their first call in December 2018 and says it has responded to about 10 active investigations total as of today.

“That’s revolutionary,” said Waynetta Kirtsey, clinical supervisor at Northwest Behavioral and a trauma response team member. “That a trauma professional, a first responder, a therapist, licensed, is on the scene.”

For many families, the grief never seems to subside. Audrey Ross’ grandson, Henry Atkins, 14, was shot and killed in September 2017.

“The pain still hurts,” said Ross. “It pierces you every day. Every day of my life.”

Ross says Atkins' Henry’s siblings are still grieving the loss of their brother.

“I have a grandson, I know he’s having difficulties in school at times,” she said. “And it’s because his big brother isn’t here.”

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The Kids Hope Alliance plans to invest $71,000 more into response groups like Northwest Behavioral  and into trauma response training for community leaders, first responders, parents and youth around Jacksonville.

They hope the team of seven grows to a trauma response community of hundreds by end of this summer.

Ross tells Action News Jax addressing childhood grief immediately after a traumatic event could keep kids from heading down a dark path.

“They could go astray themselves because they have suppressed what they’ve seen,” she said.