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News Release

HHS TO PROVIDE $250,000 FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
TO MARYLAND TO HELP DEAL WITH SNIPER ATTACKS

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced that HHS will provide up to $250,000 in immediate assistance to the State of Maryland to provide mental health services to the victims, families and others affected by the random shooter that has claimed six lives and seriously wounded two others in a shooting spree concentrated in two Maryland counties.

"We know that most children and adults can cope with the trauma of the past few days with the support of their families and others," Secretary Thompson said. "But some will need more help, perhaps over a longer period of time. It is critically important that we set in place appropriate mental health services designed to ease the trauma of the past few days for today and tomorrow."

HHS' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will make the money available and is offering immediate and long-term assistance to support state and local efforts to work with schools and community organizations to reduce the traumatic effects of these shootings.

"We will do what we can to support Maryland so that those affected by these shootings have access to appropriate mental health services," SAMSHA Administrator Charles G. Curie said. "We are also mobilizing SAMHSA's Safe Schools/Healthy Students Action Center and our National Center for Child Traumatic Stress to provide immediate help to assist children experiencing post traumatic stress disorder."

SAMHSA has a $30 million network of grants and contracts to provide services nationally to providers who assist children experiencing post traumatic stress disorder, such as those at Benjamin Tasker Middle School in Bowie, Md., where a 13-year-old boy was shot on Monday. SAMHSA also funds a $2.5 million Safe Schools/Healthy Students Action Center that can provide students, teachers and school administrators with written materials, web-based information and connections to local resources.

According to SAMHSA, parents can help their children understand; teachers can help their students do the same. Some children may have reactions very soon after the event. Others may seem to be doing fine for weeks or months, and then begin to show worrisome behavior. For information about local mental health services or to obtain informational materials to help understand and talk about emotional effects of trauma, call 1-800-789-2647 (TDD: 301-443-9006).

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at www.hhs.gov/news.

Last Revised: October 08, 2002