Community Trauma assessment

 

 

Personal crisis: On February 14, 2018, a mass shooting occurred when 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire on students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, part of the Miami metropolitan area, Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people and injuring 18 others.

 

1. To apply principles of community trauma/crisis/disaster assessment in your local community

2. To consider ground-level interventions that a PMHNP can apply in a community emergency/disaster situation

Instructions

1. Select a recent crisis/disaster event that occurred in your local area. Briefly describe the event.

The event should be a DSM type of traumatic event that occurred in your local community. This could include, but is not limited to: natural disasters, mass shootings, terrorist attacks, or the death of a local figure that was traumatic to the community (example: murder of J.F.K. would be ok b/c threat to the nation, fear of more attacks, etc. Death of Elvis Presley not ok - upsetting and personally devastating, yes. Traumatic, no.)
Remember that just because something is really difficult does not automatically make it a trauma. Adverse life events are not the same as trauma. 
The event must have occurred in your local community and in your lifetime where you were old enough to witness the impact that the event had on the community. If you cannot think of something from your town, move up to something in the next biggest town or something in your state.


2. Use the following questions to reflect on the event:

Reaction - What was the community reaction to the event? Or, did you see strong reactions in individuals?

Source - What was the source of that reaction? Why was it so difficult? - The source of the reaction is often the emotions that are underlying. Are they acting out of fear or rage? Are they caring for the individuals that were harmed because the community is so close and full of love?

Implications - What did this mean for the individual or the community? How was the community changed by this event? What were the outcomes of this event?

3. Let's say that you were a PMHNP at the time that this event occurred. Develop a plan for intervention.  As a PMHNP, what could you do to positively affect this situation, at the individual and community level?

Your plan should include ground-level interventions that the PMHNP could perform in the weeks following the traumatic event. Will you offer therapy or support groups? Education? Is there a specific program that you would start to relieve the immediate needs following the event? Volunteer with disaster relief?
Use the disaster response resources in the module for some initial ideas, but you can expand beyond this if appropriate for your scenario.

 

Community Impact and Reaction

 

 

Reaction

 

The community’s immediate reaction was one of overwhelming shock and grief. In the hours and days following the shooting, there was a palpable sense of disbelief that such an act of violence could happen in their neighborhood. This was quickly followed by an intense emotional outpouring. Strong reactions were observed in individuals, particularly in the students, many of whom became vocal and driven activists. Their reaction was rooted in a mixture of profound grief for lost friends and teachers, coupled with a deep-seated rage and determination to demand change and accountability from political leaders. The wider community reacted with an outpouring of support, mobilizing vigils, donation drives, and grief counseling centers.

 

Source of Reaction

 

The source of this reaction was multi-faceted. The primary emotional drivers were a deep fear and a sense of helplessness, stemming from the violation of a trusted, everyday environment—a high school. It was an attack on innocence and a direct threat to the safety of children. The reaction was also fueled by a sense of shared vulnerability; if this could happen in Parkland, it could happen anywhere. The community’s close-knit nature amplified the tragedy, as many people knew a victim, a survivor, or a family member directly affected. This shared trauma created both a powerful bond of collective sorrow and a catalyst for collective action.

 

Implications

 

The event fundamentally changed the community. The most immediate outcome was a widespread psychological toll, with many individuals experiencing post-traumatic stress symptoms, anxiety, and depression. On a societal level, the event propelled a new wave of student-led political activism, most notably with the creation of the March for Our Lives movement. This galvanized a national conversation on gun control and school safety. The community itself was altered. Schools across the nation implemented more stringent security measures, and the sense of safety that once characterized suburban life was irreversibly changed. The event became a permanent part of Parkland's identity, defining a new normal marked by both resilience and perpetual mourning.

 

PMHNP Intervention Plan

 

As a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) at the time of this event, my intervention plan would be comprehensive, addressing both immediate needs and long-term recovery at the individual and community levels.

Sample Answer

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Event

 

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting was a mass casualty event where a former student, armed with a rifle, killed 17 people and injured 18 others. The attack unfolded on a school campus, a place traditionally viewed as a sanctuary for learning and safety. The event’s sudden and violent nature shattered the community's sense of security and brought the reality of mass violence to a previously quiet, suburban area. The crisis created a wide-reaching circle of trauma that extended beyond the immediate victims to students, faculty, first responders, and the entire city of Parkland.

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