(May 25, 2022 – Yakima, WA) – Jodi Daly, Ph.D., President and CEO of Comprehensive Healthcare issued this statement on the mass shooting that occurred at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas:
“I want to take this time to offer our sincere condolences to the Uvalde families and community experiencing this avoidable great loss brought on by another school shooting. No words can express our sadness at the events that occurred and the loss of so many innocent lives. No one should have to know the depths of grief that these families will wade through in the coming weeks, months and years. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and community.
This event will impact us all, our mental health, our belief in our safety, as well as our beliefs about our public health and mental health systems. It will rock many of us to the core as we talk with our children and support families in response to the shooting. It’s not an easy thing to address but it is important we talk about what’s happened and problem solve solutions that address not only our own grief but also help to provide resources and assistance to those in moments of crisis before they reach for other, far more destructive, options.
Although it is hard to make sense of such a senseless event, there are resources that can help lead the discussions with our community children as well as other adults and leaders. Comprehensive Healthcare therapists and counselors are available and able to assist in any way needed to support our community. Our crisis line is available 24/7 and we encourage anyone that needs assistance to reach out – 509-575-4200.
In addition, it is time we frame the discussion of prevention and address our overall nations mental health. We are in the middle of a mental health crisis where people of all ages are feeling disconnected, overwhelmed, and under-valued. At Comprehensive Healthcare, we encourage everyone to come together to support and encourage anyone in our community that is suffering with a mental health or substance abuse disorder. In so doing, we can help to elevate the distance that forms with these individuals and provide them resources they need to live productive, healthy lives.
We offer a Mental Health First Aid Class that teaches participants how to identify and assist others in the community in moments of crisis. These classes focus on identification, empathy, and understanding as well as provide resources for next steps. The Mental Health First Aid classes are meant to be a Basic First Aid course much like the physical basic first aid course many of us have taken. It’s a triage of a myriad of mental health situations and can greatly benefit anyone wanting to provide additional help to our community. There are two upcoming classes – June 16th and July 19th. For more information or to sign up, you can email mhfa@comphc.org or check our website at http://www.comphc.org.
Our crisis line is also available for anyone to use if you know of someone that could use assistance and would like resources to either help or direct them to.
Our communities are strong and I believe we can tackle this mental health crisis proactively. I thank all the employees at Comprehensive Healthcare for their contributions thus far and encourage others in our community to get involved and reach out if they need assistance and/or would like to help in any way.”
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About Comprehensive Healthcare
Celebrating 50 years as one of the largest behavioral health organizations in the state of Washington, Comprehensive Healthcare serves clients in seven counties throughout south-central Washington. Comprehensive Healthcare is a Joint Commission accredited organization, providing compassionate, individualized behavioral healthcare since 1972. As a non-profit organization, Comprehensive Healthcare is dedicated to delivering high quality, evidence-based services to individuals, families and organizations.
