Family Resources
Family Resources
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As we open a new chapter of life at Abundant Life Christian School, we 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 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 supporting parents and children.
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.
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
Parents: Communicating about Crisis Events (from the WI Department of Justice's Office of School Safety)
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
Parents: Taking Care of Your Children (from Mrs. White & Mrs. Intveld and The National Child Traumatic Stress Network )
You are also focused on taking care of your kids. Some questions parents asking are "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.
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. 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.
These are some tips for parents on self-care:
- 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
Student Tips: Health and Wellness Tips to Consider
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.