Family Resources
Family Resources
As we enter this new season at Abundant Life Christian School, we continue to hold to the Lord's promises. We know He has never left us and we are grateful for His ever-present help. We may not understand everything that occurred last year on December 16, but we know that God is good and we trust in Him regardless of our earthly circumstances.
We are grateful for the abundance of resources available to our families as we walk through the recovery and healing process.
Here we provide a number of tips for families in order to support your children and care for yourself as parents.
Connect with Your Church: We encourage everyone to reach out to your church family for support and/or your pastor for counseling. If you do not have a church home, we encourage you to connect with a local church.
Other Faith-based Supports:
Billy Graham Prayer Line: Call toll-free, anytime day or night → 1-888-388-2683 OR 1-855-255-7729
OR request prayer online HERE
Christian Broadcasting Network Prayer Line: Call toll-free, anytime day or night → 1-800-700-7000
OR request prayer online HERE
Life 102.5 Pray: Post a prayer request HERE
Trinity Broadcasting Network Prayer Line: Call 1-714-731-1000 OR request prayer online HERE
Living Springs International Church Midnight Hour Prayer: Call → 608-716-4100 . . . and join the midnight prayer from 12a - 1a
(Mon - Fri) with Pastor Sam Twum.
Parent Resources
Parents play the most important of roles as they support their child through the recovery journey to wellness after a traumatic incident. However, it is a taxing role as parents need to not only take care of their child, but also themselves. We hope the resources here will help parents to not only have good information, but tools to support their journey as well as their child's journey.
NEW RESOURCE: Dr. Moreland shared a very special new resource with us developed by a survivor of the Boston Marathon bombing. It has some very practical and helpful tips for recovery and resiliency. This is a good resource for parents in their healing journey as well as to support their child in their child's healing journey.
Survivor to Survivor Tips for Recovery and Resiliency
NEW RESOURCE: Mrs. Ruff provided a mental health toolkit for families that is also utilized in classrooms. It includes tools to help ground and refocus when activated.
Mental Health Toolkit for Families
Parents: Communicating about Crisis Events
Navigating a Crisis with Children
• Limit exposure to graphic media
• Children take cues from adults, so manage your stress openly
• Shield children from adult worries; let them be children
Discussing Crisis Details with Children
• Provide clear, factual information without graphic details
• Show empathy and validate the child’s feelings
• Reassure them about safety and encourage ongoing conversation
• Listen, validate, and take the child’s concerns seriously
Talking to Children about a Crisis
• Make time, but don’t force it
• Look for signs that the child wants to talk
• Choose calm moments for discussion (in the car, at dinner, or during calming activities)
• Let the child’s questions guide the conversation
- from the WI Department of Justice's Office of School Safety
Parents: Taking Care of Your Children
Parents wonder and ask "How do I know what's normal? How long should I expect this process to take? My child isn't talking about what happened. Is that okay?"
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) guide for parents is attached as a resource for you. It covers common responses in children and many ways to care for them.
Spend time talking with your children. Let them know that they are welcome to ask questions and express their concerns and feelings. You should remain open to answering new questions and providing helpful information and support. You might not know all the answers and it is OK to say that. At the same time, don’t push them to talk if they don’t want to. Let them know you are available when they are ready.
Find time to have these conversations. Use time such as when you eat together or sit together in the evening to talk about what is happening in the family as well as in the community. Try not to have these conversations close to bedtime, as this is the time for resting.
Seek professional help. If teens have continued difficulties for a couple of months after the attacks, parents should consult a trusted helper—a doctor or mental health professional.
NCTSN Guide in English (parent tips for helping youth and themselves after a shooting)
NCTSN Guide in Spanish (parent tips for helping youth and themselves after a shooting in Spanish)
- from Mrs. White & Mrs. Intveld and
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Parent Resource: Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event (helpful handout out to understand reactions children may have at various ages)
Tips for Talking with and Helping Children and Youth Cope after a Traumatic Event (a guide for parents, caregivers, & teachers)
Parent Resource: Helping Teens with Traumatic Grief (10 tips to help teens cope with and deal with grief)
Parents: Take Care of Yourself
We encourage you to take care of yourselves as you take care of your children. It is so helpful and encouraging to be with others who have this shared experience; connect with your Challenger family. Connect with your family and friends. Connect with your church family. The most important thing you can do is to connect, to find social support from those who know and love you and your family.
If you're feeling isolated and dealing with a lot of grief, please reach out to another parent with a text or call. Have a meal together, pray together, let the kids play. Let's help each other and be a support to one another.
Some tips for parents self-care include:
Take care of yourself. Do your best to drink plenty of water, eat regularly, and get enough sleep and exercise.
Help each other. Take time with other adult relatives, friends, or members of the community to talk or support each other.
Put off major decisions. Avoid making any unnecessary life-altering decisions during this time.
Give yourself a break. Take time to rest and do things that you like to do.
Parent Tips: Continuing the Journey to Recovery
Parent Resource: Managing Stress after a Traumatic Event (information, tools, and resources)
Student Tips: Health and Wellness Tips to Consider
HELPLINE: The Disaster Distress Helpline is available to anyone who needs help after a disaster OR a traumatic event. The helpline is available via
phone, text, or online.
Phone: 1-800-985-5990 Text: “TalkWithUs” to 66746 Web: http://disasterdistress.samhsa.gov
Counseling Resources
Looking for counseling or additional support? The following agencies have offered to make access available to ALCS students.
Rapid Trauma Response Groups - Depending on the level of need/interest, Journey Mental Health is prepared to offer free small group counseling (6-sessions) at ALCS, co-facilitated by an ALCS-connected counselor. If you would like more information, please contact Annette Intveld (aintveld@alcs.us). Parent permission will be required to participate.
New Life Resources (262) 782-1474 - Based in the Milwaukee area. They offer virtual or in-person therapy from a Christian framework. They are a private clinic with several fee structures, dependent on the level of licensure of the providing Mental Health Professional. In addition, they offer discounts for need and for those in ministry. Fees for other services are negotiated in the process of identifying what services are indicated. They are in-network with many insurance companies and some insurance policies offer out-of-network benefits for their services. Their office staff can help a person determine what insurance coverage they may have at the clinic and what options exist to help cover the cost.
Anchored Hope - Virtual therapy that is grounded in Biblical principles. They are a partner of Door Creek Church and are offering 30% off. Please use the code emailed by Mrs. Intveld when scheduling.