>> ERIC: IN TIMES OF TRAUMA AND VIOLENCE, IT CAN BE INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT FOR ADULTS TO KNOW WHAT TO SAY TO THE CHILDREN IN THEIR LIVES.

ESPECIALLY WHEN THE ADULTS ARE ALSO EXPERIENCING UNCERTAINTY AND FEAR AND GRIEF.

DR. PJ STRIKER IS A CHILD PSYCHIATRIST WHO WORKS AT CHILDREN'S MINNESOTA.

WHERE DO YOU START AFTER AN EVENT LIKE THIS?

I MEAN, WHAT ARE SOME INITIAL STEPS?

>> I THINK IT'S, FIRST, IMPORTANT TO REALIZE, WE ALL WILL HAVE EMOTIONS AROUND THIS.

THIS IS A REALLY SCARY, HARD THING THAT HAPPENED.

AND IT'S OKAY TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AS A GROWN-UP AND THEN SAY TO YOUR CHILD, WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS?

WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM ME?

WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE?

AND JUST REALLY TO MODEL THAT IT'S OKAY TO HAVE THE FEELINGS.

WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE FEELINGS TOGETHER, EXPERIENCE THE FEELINGS TOGETHER, THEN WE CAN WORK THROUGH IT TOGETHER.

>> Cathy: WHAT QUESTIONS DO KIDS MOSTLY HAVE ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS?

>> I THINK THE BIGGEST QUESTIONS WILL BE, AM I SAFE?

WHO'S GOING TO KEEP ME SAFE?

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO KEEP ME SAFE?

AND I THINK IT'S OKAY TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU'RE SCARED, AND HERE'S HOW I CAN KEEP YOU SAFE.

ADULTS ARE HERE TO KEEP YOU SAFE.

AND LET'S IDENTIFY WHO THOSE PEOPLE WOULD BE.

IS IT A PARENT?

IS IT A TEACHER?

IS IT SOMEBODY ELSE IN THE SCHOOL?

IS IT A LOVED ONE, WHETHER IN THE COMMUNITY?

HELP THEM FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PLAN WILL BE.

>> Cathy: BECAUSE I'M BETTING THE FIRST TIME FOR MANY OF THESE KIDS, THE FIRST TIME THEY REALIZE THAT THE SWORLD A DANGEROUS PLACE.

IT'S GOING TO BE KIND OF A SHOCK.

>> I THINK IT IS A SHOCK.

[ THE WORLD IS A DANGEROUS PLACE ] AND THEY MAY HAVE REACTIONS, THEY MAY CRY, THEY MAY SHUT DOWN, THEY MAY HAVE BEHAVIORS.

LUCKILY, WITH MOST OF THESE KIDS WITH REASSURANCE, LOVE, HUGS, TIME, SPACE, THEY WILL GET BETTER.

AND I THINK IT'S UP TO US AS ADULTS TO JUST KIND OF HELP CONTAIN THEM AND TO HELP THEM START FEELING SAFE AGAIN.

>> Eric: SURVIVOR GUILT, DOES THAT COME INTO PLAY AT ALL?

>> I THINK SO.

YOU KNOW, I THINK AS KIDS START THINKING ABOUT GOING T TO -- GOING BACK TO SCHOOL, IT'S LABOR DAY WEEKEND, A LOT OF KIDS ARE GOING TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THERE MAY BE GUILT, RIGHT?

WHAT IS GOING BACK TO SCHOOL GOING TO LOOK LIKE FOR ME?

AND I THINK IT'S OKAY TO TILL EXPERIENCE AN EXCITEMENT ABOUT THAT BACK-TO-SCHOOL THING, KEEP OUR ROUTINES, KEEP THE NORMAL THINGS THAT HELP US CONTINUE TO FUNCTION ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.

>> Cathy: THE KIDS WHO WERE ACTUALLY IN THOSE PEWS, I WONDER, HOW LONG WILL T TAKE THEM TO RECOVER?

ANY IDEA?

>> THE GOOD THING ABOUT KIDS IS THAT THEY'RE SO RESILIENT, RIGHT?

AND IT MAY BE HARD, THERE MAY BE EBBS AND FLOWS, AND, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST TIME THEY GO BACK TO SCHOOL OR BACK O MASS MAY BE HARDER AND IT WILL BE UP TO THE ADULTS TO REALLY HELP THEM GET THROUGH THAT, RIGHT, PREPARE THEM BEFORE THEY GO BACK, HELP THEM SETTLE AFTERWARDS.

AND THEN THERE MAY BE WAVES, RIGHT?

COMING BACK FROM CHRISTMAS BREAK, COME BACK -- COMING BACK THE NEXT YEAR, RIGHT, THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR STARTS, REALLY I THINK IT WILL COME AND GO.

>> Eric: IS IT DANGEROUS FOR A CHILD TO BURY THE EVENT AND NOT REFER TO IT?

DO YOU HAVE NEED TO HAVE SOME TALKING THERAPY HERE?

>> WELL, I THINK EVERYBODY WILL DEAL WITH IT DIFFERENTLY, RIGHT?

AND SOME KIDS WILL BE OKAY WITH REASSURANCE AND THE LOVE AND SUPPORT AND THINGS WILL BE FINE.

AND THERE'S KIDS WHO MAY CONTINUE TO REALLY STRUGGLE.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHEN IT'S IMPORTANT TO REACH OUT TO A THERAPIST.

I'M SO PROUD OF OUR COMMUNITY FOR COMING TOGETHER.

THERE'S SO MANY THERAPISTS THROUGHOUT THAT ARE WILLING TO SEE KIDS, FAMILIES, REALLY, ANYBODY AFFECTED, PRO BONO, I KNOW THERE'S LISTS AND LISTS OUT THERE OF THERAPISTS WHO WILL HAVE IMMEDIATE AVAILABILITY.

IT'S REALLY AMAZING TO SEE OUR COMMUNITY STEP FORWARD.

>> Cathy: IT'S A LOT OF WORK FOR THERAPISTS, TOO, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S RESIDUE FOR EVERYONE ON THIS, RIGHT TO DEAL WITH LISTENING TO ALL THIS TRAUMA.

>> YEAH.

WELL, I THINK WE TRY TO BE THERE FOR EACH OTHER.

I SPOKE TO ONE OF THE E.D.

SOCIAL WORKERS WHO WAS THERE IN MINNEAPOLIS, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, TRY TO LISTEN TO HER EXPRESS HER FEELINGS AND HER FEARS AROUND IT.

IT'S REALLY GOOD FOR EVEN THE ADULTS TO HAVE GOOD SUPPORT NETWORKS AND SUPERVISION AND MENTORSHIP AND JUST TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES TOO.

>> Cathy: WHERE IS A GOOD RESOURCE THAT YOU'D LIKE TO POINT PEOPLE TOWARD IN TERMS OF HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS?

>> SO, OUR COUNTY CRISIS TEAMS ARE PRETTY AMAZING.

THEY WILL COME TO PEOPLE'S HOUSES, THEY WILL DIRECT YOU TO RESOURCES.

CHILDREN'S MINNESOTA WILL HAVE THE AVAILABILITY TO SEE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT IN THE IMMEDIATE AND THE UPCOMING FEW WEEKS.

AND REACH OUT, REACH OUT TO US, EVEN IF WE DON'T HAVE AVAILABILITY AT CHILDREN'S MINNESOTA, WE WILL CONNECT YOU WITH SOMEBODY.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO ASK FOR HELP IF YOU NEED IT.

>> Cathy: APPRECIATE IT.

>> Eric: THANKS FOR SHARING