By:Angela Marshall
Free program set up by SNCH to help families of WTC victims cope
Even when they aren't saying a word, children might be speaking volumes. And more than ever before, it is a time to listen, according to mental health professionals from South Nassau Communities Hospital.
In the wake of the World Trade Center attacks, there are hundreds of children on the South Shore grieving for one or more parents who went to work one day and never came home. Their remaining parent is also likely experiencing an emotional roller coaster.
Many of these parents are struggling with the concept of dealing with their own grief while making sure their children are getting the healing attention they need. Members of South Nassau's behavioral health department heard these concerns from many of the patients they were treating and decided to open a counseling program for the families of WTC victims at 310 Merrick Road, Rockville Centre.
The idea is to offer a safe place for parents to bring their children on the weekends where they can be with others going through a similar experience. Through creative play and interaction with trained bereavement counselors, the children express their feelings of loss without having to say a word, said Janet Kahn-Scolaro, supervisor of the center.
In addition to private counseling rooms, there are several play areas throughout the building. Boxes of markers, crayons, finger paints and more cover one table in the back of the building. In this area, children are encouraged to do artwork, which can later be interpreted for parents.
Kahn-Scolaro said several area families took advantage of the center's first weekend. The main concern for most parents, she said, is whether last month's traumatic events will have lasting effects on their children. They want to better understand what the children are going through and to know that they are recovering. "And they could see it in [the children's] artwork," she said. "It was really nice."
When the grand opening ribbon was cut at the center last week, many of the walls were blank. Kahn-Scolaro said the children's projects from this weekend and those to follow will become the building's wall paper. She and other workers feel that seeing the artwork on the wall will help the children to know that this is their place.
The staff consists of psychologists, social workers and nurses from the hospital.
Parents can either stay with their children or use the time to take care of other needs.
Kahn-Scolaro said each of the families is at their own stage of the grieving process and the staff is working to address them individually. "There is no right or wrong way to mourn," she said.
Many of the families have asked for group meetings so that they can talk to each other about their pain. The hospital is working to set a time for the group.
The center is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, call (516) 546-1370.
Donations of new or gently used toys is appreciated.
