This week Colorado added another unfortunate community to the list of those that have experienced a tragic mass shooting, and once again, we at Aurora Mental Health Center, as well as all of Colorado, are heartbroken and grieving.
As many remember, Aurora experienced its own horrific tragedy with the theater shooting in 2012. With each new shooting, first responders, survivors and families of victims relive the trauma and the grief, and it can be overwhelming. It seems it’s never really over.
These types of traumatic events can affect any of us deeply, even if we do not know the victims directly, or were not witnesses to the event ourselves. The 30-mile proximity of Boulder definitely makes it feel close to home.
Other kinds of affiliation with the victims are just as impactful. The violent deaths of eight people killed by a shooter in Atlanta last week, six of whom were women of Asian heritage, has created significant distress in our community, as evidenced in the community that Aurora Mental Health serves through our affiliate, the Asian Pacific Development Center located at 1537 Alton St. Calls for support have increased and local community members are fearful of encountering similar violence, whether racially motivated or otherwise. Please join us in solidarity to support our neighbors of Asian heritage.
AuMHC is also a member of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network which publishes helpful suggestions for how we can engage most compassionately with others, including our co-workers, friends and families in the aftermath of traumatic events. We urge you to consult these resources for your own household, especially if you have children.
Aurora Mental Health was here for our community in 2012 at a time of trauma and loss, and we are here for you today. As a comprehensive community mental health center, we respond to support victims and communities impacted by the violence, just as we care for anyone who is troubled and needing understanding and support for mental health and emotional wellbeing. APDC is just one example of how we care for distinctive communities within our larger community.
Most importantly, help us get the word out. We are here to help. If you are feeling distressed, please know that you are not alone. If you are feeling triggered, or struggling in some way, you do not have to go through this by yourself. Call us at 303.617.2300 and get the support you need, or visit our Connect 2 Care clinic located at 791 Chambers Road.
Aurora is a strong and resilient community, and Aurora Mental Health is proud to be a part of this great city. Together, we will find a way to survive and move forward. We are Aurora Strong.
Kelly Phillips-Henry is the CEO of Aurora Mental Health Center, a community mental health center that has been serving the residents of Colorado since the 1970s.
Harry Budisidharta is the Executive Director of the Asian Pacific Development Center (APDC), an affiliate of Aurora Mental Health Center. APDC has been serving the immigrant and refugee communities since 1980.