The website being maintained by the six-member Recovery and Resiliency Team (RRT) is not only designed to be a clearinghouse of information for the local trauma response agency, but a resource for any other agency, nonprofit and grassroots organization maintaining or holding strategic events designed to support Newtown’s continued healing post 12/14.

RRT Community Outreach Liaison Melissa Glaser, LPC, told The Newtown Bee this week that her team is constantly searching for activities being mounted by myriad other groups — and posting them along with RRT news at newtownrrt.org.

Ms Glaser continues to work out of the former engineer’s house at 28 Trades Lane, near the entrance to Fairfield Hills, along with project manager Margot Robins; case managers Catherine Galda LCSW, Suzy DeYoung, MsEd, and Eileen Rondeau, RN; and clinical recovery leader Deb Del Vecchio-Scully, LPC.

“We want everyone to know that our website remains a central clearinghouse, and should be a destination for anyone seeking community resources,” she said during a visit to the Center on March 4. “As we hear about updated services and new activities being mounted by community groups and local agencies, we’re trying to contact them to let them know we can help them share their information.”

Ms Glaser said whether it’s a charity race, fundraising gala, workshop or trauma recovery initiative, “we want to post it for them to help expand access to these programs among all our own website visitors.”

By late April, RRT is committed to launching a new feature on the site: a directory of all qualified community providers, so individuals who may be seeking to pursue support on their own can reach out to the right agency or support professional best suited for their particular needs.

“We’re aspiring to feature a comprehensive listing of qualified providers, which may not be exclusively from Newtown,” she said. “We know there are some wonderful providers of specific services that may be in Danbury or Southbury as well.”

About once a month, RRT members select a particular charity or support agency and highlight them with a feature story on the website, to better familiarize community members with the various organizations listed on the site.

The reason for RRT’s heightened outreach is because preliminary data from a community assessment survey indicates that many residents still believe the Town still needs to do a better job of communicating availability of recovery services and activities.

First-Timers Welcome

As the agency continues to expand its partnerships and resources online, it is also continuing to expand its availability to residents. Ms Glaser said an average of about 50 new visitors each month are visiting the center, all telling staff that it is their first time ever seeking some sort of professional support for depression, family issues, financial difficulties or other concerns they are relating to the Sandy Hook tragedy.

She said the two-year mark following a mass casualty incident or disaster of the scope Newtown experienced, is about the time when those in proximity to the incident start manifesting “survivor’s guilt.” Others approaching the center are telling staffers they may have been feeling badly for some time, but held off on asking for help assuming there were many others “worse off then them, or who needed the help more.”

Another sentiment from some of the center’s new visitors involves developing a sufficient “trust factor” threshold before asking for assistance.

Among those groups currently trending higher are middle age men, Ms Glaser said, many of whom are describing similar concerns about building trust, or holding off to “make room” for others who might need priority assistance.

“We’re continuing to see a lot of school referrals, as well as requests for support for multiple family members,” she said. “Research shows that around or after the two-year mark post-incident is when a lot of people begin giving themselves permission to ask for help – because they realize they are still upset by, or have bad feelings related to, that incident.”

Continuing Concerns

Ms Glaser said her team is also seeing continuing expressions of concern from individuals who recognize they are increasing their consumption of alcohol or drugs, or other addictive or harmful behaviors, and those experiencing financial pressures either because they are expending income for mental health or other medical supports; because they cannot work as much or as effectively because of 12/14-related distractions; and among those involved in separations or divorce actions.

Ms Glaser said she also empathizes with those who are still holding off on coming forward, in some cases, because they perceive their friends, family, neighbors or co-workers have already recovered or “moved on” post 12/14.

“But they need to know that for many who appear to have moved on, or are seemingly further along in their recovery — it may be because they reached out early to deal with their feelings or grief about Sandy Hook,” she said.

Ms Glaser said a number of residents sought counsel or recovery support through clergy or friends, and others had great success incorporating non-traditional recovery practices from tapping to yoga.

“But we can’t stress enough, that if anyone wants to talk or needs assistance, they don’t have to hold back,” Ms Glaser said. “We’re here for them, to help them determine where they need to go or what they need to do to help resolve any bad feelings, stress or other concerns related to, or that began developing since 12/14.”