SAN ANTONIO — As the Uvalde school year begins, the Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas continues to help families heal and navigate through emotional trauma, three months after the deadliest school mass shooting in Texas.
“For children returning to the schools in Uvalde, I think an especially important thing is, they’re going to need to lean on the adults who are around them,” said Tami Logsdon, program director of the Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas (CBCST).
The San Antonio-based non-profit is among several organizations on the ground in Uvalde providing a host of grief counseling services for community members affected by the tragedy at Robb Elementary where a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers.
“Every teacher and bus driver and counselor that we’ve met in the last few weeks are very, very invested in having the children back in school and being available to them.”
Logsdon’s noticed growth and resilience with many of the Uvalde CISD staff members in recent weeks compared to the days just following the shooting on May 24.
CBCST raised $2.4 million to go toward opening a center in Uvalde where the community can take part in free grief support programs.
The non-profit has also spent the summer months training school teachers and counselors on how to respond to children experiencing grief and triggering moments that evoke painful memories.
She stressed counselors, teachers and parents will need to play an even bigger role in being there for students this year.
“Fears should be addressed openly and honestly and if a child has the ability to describe what they’re feeling, that helps an adult to be able to work with a child and help create that sense of safety,” Logsdon said.
CBCST's comfort and consultation services in Uvalde are located at 221 North Getty St. To learn more about the Children's Bereavement Center of South Texas, click here.