This month marks the second anniversary of the shooting massacre at an elementary school in Newtown, CT. Residents of the town and those affected by the deaths are still experiencing mental health and emotional problems as a result of the event.
On Dec. 14, 2012, a young man entered the school and shot to death 20 children and 6 adults before shooting and killing himself.
Even two years after the shooting, the scope of the mental health issues is only starting to become clear. Residents of the town are taking advantage of counseling and other programs that have been made available to them paid for through donations and grants, according to the Associated Press. But local agencies are looking down the road and are setting up a support system that will continue for many years as the children who survived the shooting grow into adults.
Many people in the area are reporting problems with substance abuse, relationship issues, depression, inability to sleep, and feelings of guilt and helplessness. More and more people are reaching out for help, according to Jennifer Barahona, director of the Newtown-Sandy Hook Community Foundation, an organization overseeing private donations. The group has paid out more than $7 million to the families of the victims and to children who survived. The foundation pays for one-on-one counseling for people who do not have insurance that covers such treatment.
Parents have reported that their children look out for places to hide when they are away from home just in case.
Newtown has received about $15 million in grants from the U.S. Education Department and the U.S. Justice Department to support the town's recovery. The Newtown school system is starting a long-term program for children from kindergarten through high school on how to handle their feelings. Teachers have been trained to spot children who are having mental health problems.
