Survivors of the One October mass shooting in Las Vegas may find themselves reliving that trauma when similar violence like the tragedy in Texas occurs.

Why this is, and what help is available.

Plus, what does our youth think?

We hear from them directly on issues of school violence, COVID and much more this week on Nevada Week.

♪♪♪ Support for Nevada Week is provided by Senator William H. Hernstadt and additional supporting sponsors.

Welcome to Nevada Week; I'm Amber Renee Dixon.

We check in with some of Southern Nevada's youth in a moment.

Also, we take you to a new Holocaust memorial, the first of its kind in the state.

But first when tragedy strikes like it did at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, survivors of similar violence are at risk of once again experiencing severe distress.

For more on this, we are joined by Dan Ficalora, a counselor at Bridge Counseling, Southern Nevada's oldest nonprofit counseling organization.

Dan, thank you for joining us.

We last had you on in September around the 20th anniversary of September 11, and you said that even those events that happened years ago and miles and miles away from Las Vegas can trigger survivors of a mass shooting like what happened at One October.

Why is this?

(Dan Ficalora) One of the key symptoms of trauma is finding flashback type events where you feel like you're reliving that event again.

So if there's something in your environment that is triggering those memories, it can create a real sense of danger, like you're right back when that first trauma happened.

So for those people that were involved in the mass shooting on One October, seeing again images on the television of a mass shooting can spark those same feelings and memories and make them feel again that they're in danger just like they were that night.

-So it's inherent within trauma that if you've experienced trauma, there are going to be things that are pushing you to flash back.

-There's always a scale of severity, right?

Some people are very resilient and can withstand a lot of triggers without having an emotional response, and those that have had more significant traumas, more real threats to their life, it might be little small things even like smells that can trigger a trauma response.

-Okay.

Because of what happened in Texas, it being a mass shooting, and also October 1 was a mass shooting, does that make it any worse, the similarities in the events?

-The more similar two events are, the more likely it is to be a trigger for someone that's experienced trauma.

So if you went through it again, you went through a mass shooting event and you're seeing images of a mass shooting event, those are very linked together in our brains, the way that our brain files memories.

-Have you yet had people reach out to you on behalf of this new tragedy in relation to?

-It's kind of been a topic on everyone's mind in my sessions this week.

Even those people that don't have a direct relation to the trauma, just parents, anybody that is viewing these images and being aware of the terrible event that happened in Texas, it's just been the topic on everyone's mind, especially those that are overcoming trauma.

-I want to ask you more about that, but first what action can be taken on behalf of survivors and their family members?

What should they be looking out for?

-You're looking for changes in behavior.

So if someone is isolating more than they used to, spending less time with the family or friends, loved ones.

If they're doing something more than they used to or less than they used to, those are usually warning signs that something's going on with our family member whether it's trauma, depression, anxiety, whatever.

If there's a change, call it out.

Talk to your family members.

Talk to your loved ones about hey, I've noticed something's different.

What is that about?

It could be nothing, it could be something really serious they're just waiting for someone to notice.

-And if you do pursue professional help, what's the likelihood that you're going to reach a waiting line?

We've had some counselors in recently for children saying they are booked.

-Sure.

Nevada is in a workforce crisis for behavioral health.

You know, at our clinic at Bridge, we're experiencing that right now in a very real way.

There are resources available, though.

Bridge is a CBHC, a community behavioral health clinic.

We have a 24-hour crisis line that's available to people.

We do take walk-ins, and for this specific event, we're offering free treatment to anyone that is being triggered by the shooting to come on in, talk to a counselor, talk to a peer specialist and get to the bottom of how we can help.

-I want to fit in two more topics.

What do parents tell their children about this shooting, if anything, and at what point, what age?

-They're going to be aware of it whether you tell them or not.

They're going to be exposed to it at school.

It's going to be the topic amongst their peers, right?

So making your home and making your dinner table an open forum where no topic is off limits, anything that's bothering them, anything that they want to talk about, home should be their safe place even if school can't be at the moment.

So making sure that when you have those opportunities to talk with your children, they have free expression of their thoughts and feelings and trying to address whatever their concerns are.

-Should it be different based on their age, how you approach it?

-If your kids are bringing it to you, there's no difference.

You're going to meet them where they're at, right?

If your kid is not bringing it to you, yes, you should probably consider their age range.

You know, an elementary school child that's not aware of this event doesn't need to be brought aware of this event.

They have enough drills at school to prepare them for those kinds of events, which is an insane thing that our children have to prepare with right now.

But if they're bringing it to you, it's fair game.

-All right.

We have 30 seconds left.

For parents, I've spoken with some and they're tearing up just in the last couple of days talking about this, thinking about dropping off their kids, they might not see them again.

I think there's a sense in the U.S. of many people that are feeling helpless, another mass shooting.

What do you suggest for that feeling of helplessness?

-Control what you can control, right?

There's so much time and effort spent camped on top of all the news and we have to know every single thing that happened, but are we making the same amount of effort knowing every single thing that happened with our child's day and making sure that when they are home and within our control that we're making that a safe environment and we're making sure that they feel secure in their home, even if school sometimes can be scary.

-Thank you so much for joining us on this topic.

There's no question that the past two years have been hard on our country's young people, and this latest mass shooting only adds to it.

A few weeks ago, we had some community leaders who work with Southern Nevada's youth on Nevada Week to discuss the pandemic's impact on issues like education and school violence, but we wanted to hear directly from the source so we have invited on some participants of the community programs we featured.

And here with us now are Britney Corzo, a soon-to-be graduate of Desert Pines High School and of Jobs 4 Nevada Graduates as well as Jessica Suarez who benefited from the program Communities in Schools while attending Chaparral High School.

She now works for CIS as a site coordinator at Canyon Springs High School.

Ladies, thank you so much for joining us, and before we talk about your personal experiences with these organizations, I want to continue with the school shooting issue.

And I wonder, Britney, a senior in high school, how often have you found yourself thinking about a mass shooting possibly happening at your school?

(Britney Corzo) It's not always a constant thing in my head, because since I am really much in focus about my education and making sure that I pass my classes, but every time I do hear one of these news and any article that has anything to do with a mass shooting in a school, then I start kind of having that anxiety in my head, if anything is going to happen or if someone were to come in right now.

I always think about the security precautions in my school since it's so easy to go to McDonald's, since I have a McDonald's right by my school, and then just come back.

I think that's the number-one thing in my head, how it's so easy to just go in school.

-So you mean you're talking about you can leave, go to McDonald's, come back so easy, and there's no issue with you entering or leaving?

-Yes.

-That is a bit scary.

What do you think, Jessica, when you are going now to your place of work?

How often are you thinking this might be the next site of mass shooting?

(Jessica Suarez) You know, we do the drills at least once a quarter, and it's kind of nerve-wracking to think that now I'm the adult in charge in my office, so whoever I have in my room at the time, I'm responsible to make sure that I do what I'm supposed to do to make sure they're safe.

So, you know, just as Britney said, I don't think about it every day, but every so often you think like okay, like if this were to happen right now, how do I get my kids out?

How do I hide them or keep everybody safe in the room?

So it's a big responsibility.

It's a little nerve-wracking to think about, for sure.

-You graduated from high school about eight years ago.

Did you have to do active shooter drills when you were at Chaparral High School?

-Yes, I feel like I remember doing them for quite a while.

It's just maybe more real now because I feel like it's on the news at least weekly.

It's becoming a harsh reality.

-I never had to do that in school, an active shooter drill, but you are doing them.

What is it like to take part in one?

-It's really-- they tell you it's not like a drill where you get the announcement hey, it's a drill.

It's kind of like off guard, so you don't know whether it's a drill or not.

So everyone takes it really seriously.

I remember one time they had it at our school and it was right after an incident that happened, a school shooting, and everyone was-- I mean, they were all panicking.

We were all kind of like what are we going to do?

The teacher was-- I mean scared, and we were all kind of-- we didn't know what to do, but we locked the doors.

We did take our precautions that we were supposed to do, and in the end when they said that it was a drill, I mean, it was kind of like a breather, like we all were like, wow.

-I guess I didn't realize that they do not let you know whether it's real, how scary that could be.

What do you think can be done in addition to security measures like you were talking about to prevent these situations?

-That is a great question.

I believe that we can kind of set up ground rules where it's like okay, you can't leave the campus because of this, this and that.

And then make sure there's people-- I know there's cops around the school because they have police cars in the school but, I mean, I go in the school and they don't see me so, you know, what makes you think that someone else can do the same thing?

So I feel like more security measures.

I feel like prior to the shooting with the thing that happened here in Vegas, where they had metal detectors but the guy still carried a gun into the casino and still did what he did, I feel like they should have metal detectors at schools because there's people with weapons on campus.

There's been a lot of those drills where there's weapons on campus, and I feel like they should take more precaution with that, since they bring these weapons in school, and I feel like that's not okay.

I feel like it's not-- -It's not being addressed.

-Exactly, and I feel like self-defense, because they do bring it back to self-defense, but it's a school.

You're not supposed to be scared.

-Anything you want to add to that?

-Yes, I definitely agree.

I think that one, we need to make sure everybody on campus is prepared and knows exactly what needs to be done if God forbid something were to happen, especially the adults, and I think that communication over that needs to be thorough.

But also taking those extra measures to make sure the kids feel safe, that the teachers feel safe, because all of the time you hear about things that are happening at other schools and you're just thinking oh my gosh, what if that happened on my campus?

What would I have done?

So I think just taking extra precautions, because there's only so much we can do about what other people are going to decide to do every day.

-Jessica, tell me how you got involved with Communities in Schools.

-Yes.

So my junior year in high school, I actually dropped out of high school and moved to Las Vegas.

So I was brand new-- -Where are you from?

-I lived in New Mexico.

So I had moved around a whole lot.

I've been all over the place.

But when I made it to Vegas, it was hard to find a place to live.

I was living with a family friend, and I just didn't have the support that I needed to go back to school, but I walked into a high school anyways.

I chose Chaparral because it was closest and after telling them my situation, that I was living in a weekly and I didn't have a couch or clothes to wear to school, they immediately walked me over to Communities in Schools' office, and the moment they heard I needed something, they were on it.

I mean, there's three women in the room, and they're running around like okay, you need this, you need this, you need this.

Gave me a backpack full of clothes, and they gave me my wardrobe for my senior year.

I had nothing.

They gave me a couch, they gave me groceries, and that meant that I had less to worry about so I could focus on getting back to my studies because now I had my junior year and my senior year to do in one year if I wanted to graduate with my class.

And if it wasn't for their support, it would have been a lot harder to get done.

But I had to pass all the classes, I had to take four proficiencies, an ACT, an SAT and try to still get into college, and luckily I did all of those things.

I passed everything and I still got to walk with my class, and then UNLV accepted me that fall and it was a great big relief.

So I was just so inspired by how dedicated they were.

They made me feel like family, and I never felt judged in any way.

So when I graduated college, I said I know exactly where I'm going to apply to work first, and it's been three years since.

-Congratulations.

-Thank you.

-Britney, what about you?

How did you come into contact with Jobs 4 Nevada Graduates?

-Well actually, it was an elective.

The class was called "Employment Skills," and that caught my attention because I think that should be a class that should be required in every school because that's what real life is all about.

You do need to have the skills.

So I went into that class, and they told me that it was Jobs 4 Nevada Graduates, and I'm like oh, wow, this program seems really nice.

Everyone was kind of like a family to me, and there were so many opportunities that Ms. Jackson would give me, like every week.

Every week she would put a poster on the board, and I would look at it, and it was kind of like, you know, it was really-- -Whay kind of opportunities?

-I mean, like job opportunities.

So they taught me how to make a resume.

I attended a professional meeting, a professional meeting.

I attended a public speech competition.

I was also part of the International Youth Foundation of McDonald's.

So all these things were kind of like because of this foundation or this program.

-How prepared would you have been to do those things you just talked about if you had not come in contact with Jobs 4 Nevada Graduates?

-I don't think I would have had any type of experience or any type of preparation, because they taught me how to do all of that.

They taught me social skills, they taught me how to talk to people formally, how to dress.

So all these things come from that program, and I'm really glad and I'm really thankful to be part of that program.

-As I mentioned, we had on the community leaders from the organizations that you represent, and we have a sound bite from Rene Cantu with Jobs 4 Nevada Graduates.

Here's what he had to say about what he's seeing from our youth right now as a result of the pandemic.

(Rene Cantu) We are seeing an increased sense of isolation from young people, a great sense of disengagement.

So Jobs 4 Nevada Graduates works in the high schools, and what we're seeing is exactly that, where young people are just-- you know, you're seeing high absenteeism, you're seeing low grades, you're seeing credit deficiency.

Our staff are trained in trauma-informed care and other things so we can assist them through that.

But kids are in trouble right now, and there's still a great aftermath after COVID.

-How would you each respond to that, and what do you believe are the biggest issues youth are facing right now?

I'll start with you, Jessica.

-So I definitely agree; I feel like the pandemic has had an effect on all of us.

It's something that I don't think anybody was prepared for, and unfortunately I think our youth struggled probably the most because the issues their parents are dealing with at home because of the pandemic is trickling down.

But on top of that, now they've lost the social aspect, and they're not meeting certain milestones that are just typical.

They're not hanging out with their friends, they're not going to the mall, they're not even going to school, so I feel like coming back to the campuses, I've noticed maybe some more antisocial tendencies.

Students really don't know how to communicate with each other or with adults either, and I think tensions are a little high, and no one really knows how to react with each other now.

It's just we're all used to being on our couch every day and not going outside, so it's an effect.

-On your couch and perhaps on your phone on social media, another issue that your generation has faced that perhaps your parents and grandparents didn't.

Britney, what do you believe to be the biggest issue our youth are facing right now?

-To add on to what Jessica said because she did kind of lay it down really perfectly, I think it has a lot to do with the pandemic and how it affected the youth.

I think they resort to multiple other things like drugs, like they go to alcohol or violence, and it is such a big thing.

I remember all of a sudden at my school, Desert Pines, they were making an announcement about violence, and I'm like oh, why all of a sudden they started to do this?

So I kind of thought why would they go to that in the first place?

Why would they resort to drugs?

Why would they resort to alcohol?

Why would they resort to violence?

And I think about the mental health aspect of that since you have this antisocialness, you have this kind of seclusion, you're kind of secluded, you don't know where to go, and I feel like the pandemic did have a big impact on that.

So I feel like mental health is definitely a big thing in the youth.

-You found that within your own friendships, I remember you told me.

-Yes, I did.

I had a friend that was going through a really rough time, and he told me things that I would never have thought he would ever say to me and, you know, my first thought was I need to let someone know.

I can't just sit here and let him do whatever he's going to do like a bystander, and I'm not that person.

So the first thing I did was see where I can contact his mother, his father.

So I didn't have that information so I went to my counselor, and I'm like you know what, I have a friend that's not doing okay.

I think he needs someone to talk to, and none of the advice that I've given him has helped so I feel like you should definitely talk to him and get him some help, and they did.

They did get him some help.

-Wonderful.

Jessica, with teacher shortages and staff shortages in general, are there enough counselors at schools to sufficiently address the mental health issues youth are facing?

-I feel like if we could have as many counselors as there are kids on campus, it would probably still wouldn't be enough.

I mean, they work very hard, they do their very best, but there's a lot going on on the campus, and there's about 3,000 kids there every day.

We do everything that we can, and mental health has been number one on our priority list for sure.

And we've been doing like panorama surveys.

The kids get to tell us okay, are you doing well?

Do you need something?

Even though that may not hit every student that needs something, we do our very best to reach every kid.

-Ladies, thank you so much for being so candid and for joining us on this topic.

A new Holocaust memorial at King David Memorial Cemetery near Warm Springs Road and Eastern Avenue in Las Vegas is special for multiple reasons.

One, it's unlike any other in Nevada in that it's a plaza outdoors and provides a comprehensive history of the Holocaust and, two, it includes soil from areas in Poland, where Nazi Germany ran some of its most notorious concentration camps.

It was a local rabbi who returned to Las Vegas with that soil after a recent visit to the Poland/Ukraine border to help Ukrainian refugees.

Behind the King David Memorial Chapel and Cemetery sits the state's only Holocaust Memorial Plaza, both accessible...

There is a couple of Holocaust products in the community, but they're not as public as this.

...and comprehensive, says the cemetery's founder and general manager, Jay Poster.

(Jay Poster) The framing of the memorial is the Star of David, and along the perimeter of the wall is the entire history of the Holocaust movement from the very first day that Hitler took power.

Within the plaza itself, we have what's called the "stumbling stones."

They list all the 20 different countries that the concentration camps were housed.

So it really shows how expanded the Nazi movement was throughout Europe and also North Africa.

The wall that you look at that looks like it's destroyed, it's supposed to be.

It represents two things: It represents the damaged lives that took place during that period of time, and all you have to do is look at what's happening in the news today and see what's happening in the Ukraine and see the damage that's happening to the buildings there.

So this is representative of what the Nazis did to the Jewish communities during the Holocaust.

As you face the memorial, you actually have six bronze plaques.

Listed on the plaques are the amount of people that lost their lives that were gassed in these chambers as well as the dates and the location of these extermination camps.

And under those plaques is soil from areas surrounding where those extermination camps once operated.

Local Rabbi Sanford Akselrad brought the soil back from a humanitarian trip to Poland where he and rabbis from across the United States delivered aid to Ukrainian refugees.

(Rabbi Sanford Akselrad) So very organically there's a rabbinic discussion group on Facebook, and we talk about a lot of things.

And someone said, you know, it's terrible what's happening in Ukraine and we should do something, and we raised nearly $800,000 and we brought over two tons' worth of supplies.

So I think it was important for us to go there to see firsthand what was happening and also to be able to come back to our communities and say this is what is going on.

At the memorial's dedication in April is when the soil was placed beneath these plaques.

The small stones atop the plaques have significance as well, apropos of this thoughtful and precisely planned plot inside Southern Nevada's only Jewish cemetery.

One of the traditions of Judaism is really not to have flowers when we visit the grave of a loved one.

It is really to place something simple like a stone.

Flowers, you know, they come, they go, but there's something about dust to dust, earth to earth, and the fact that a stone is a simple statement that someone was here.

-What is the need for a memorial like this?

-My rabbinic thesis on Holocaust education, how it's taught, how it's integrated in public schools around the country, how it's taught in Jewish synagogues throughout the country, and the message is always the same: Never again.

But at the same time when you examine the Holocaust, many people deny the Holocaust, and this is a testimony once again to say the Holocaust happened, and Holocaust denial is just another form of anti-semitism.

So I think we need to articulate over and over again what happened to our people not only because of its universal message, but because it's important for history to be set straight and for people to understand what happened to the Jewish people and how it's affected our psyche.

Six million of our people died, and we're still working on trying to recover those Jews who fall.

We're a very small religion, and maybe even smaller because of the Holocaust.

-And speaking of your psyche, I imagine that's what drew you to the plight of the Ukrainians right now.

-For Jews, many of them have relatives who lost in this region whether it was Ukraine or Poland, so to see this going on in Poland, perhaps there's some redemption here that what did not happen for the Jews is now happening for the Ukrainians.

Thank you for joining us this week on Nevada Week.

For any of the resources discussed in this show, go to our website at vegaspbs.org/nevadaweek and please follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @vegaspbs.

I hope to see you next week for Nevada Week.

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