PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia school leaders are looking to find ways to help students cope with the trauma of losing classmates to gun violence.
Many young people were excited to walk back into classrooms after a year of virtual learning. However, there's another crisis city students are facing.
Dr. Jayme Banks, deputy chief of prevention, intervention and trauma services for the School District of Philadelphia, leads response teams after a child is shot. She said the last week, during which half a dozen teens were shot in the city, was "intense. It's just been nonstop."
"We are supporting not just the student that has been shot, we're also supporting the siblings of those students," she explained.
"So then we're reaching out to the school to help with the assessment. So we're determining what the response should be. So who was the student close to? What grade were they in? What activities are they a part of? And then we determine from there, are we going into classrooms to inform students?"
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Banks said the process is layered, from notifying students and parents, to then making sure that students get the grief counseling and services they need.
"We definitely make sure that I'm packing the school day with the ability to see the counselor, the ability to see the step team, the ability to participate in small group intervention. If they do get intensive behavior, health service, the ability to access those services in school, we definitely are making sure that we are pushing those services in," she said.
Banks admitted some students need more than that. "We need to have additional services in the community, that we can continue to refer students who need additional support outside of school, as again, the need will continue to grow," she said. "The school day is only but so long and there are also academics that need to happen."
There are resources that parents and students in need can access directly, including the Philly Hopeline and Community Behavioral Health. Banks said district counselors are also available and can offer referrals for therapy and other mental health services. They can be reached at 1-833-745-4673.