WACO, Texas (KXXV) — School bells are ringing across Texas this month, but for many communities impacted by recent floods, the start of the school year feels anything but normal.
For students, it means walking into classrooms without friends who once sat beside them. For teachers, some are returning without their loved ones.
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Mental health experts said the healing process will look different for everyone.
“You know, our hearts are really hurting with the community, the local community that's been impacted directly, but also the larger community that's been impacted because these are individuals, we don't live in a silo, we live in these communities,” said Yelena Zatulovsky, AccentCare vice president of patient experience.
She explained that grief does not follow a timeline.
“There isn't a timeline for this journey. Even if we had this one individual who died, the three people that were directly linked to them are all gonna experience this journey differently because that relationship was different for each of them,” Zatulovsky said.
She added that one of the most important things communities can do is offer specific and meaningful support.
“Having opportunities for them to create and participate in things like a memorial event or other kinds of related rituals, those give them meaningful interactions in a very disorganized time. They reaffirm community and solidarity,” Zatulovsky said.
When it comes to children, she emphasized the importance of using clear language about death, giving them space to express emotions, and maintaining routines at school.
“Children really need to understand the who, the what, the where, the when, the why… and that helps them regain some of that control and stability. It’s that relationship that’s changing for them in that death, and that is going to be the thing that helps them with the healing in the future – along a grief journey that will be lifelong but ever changing,” Zatulovsky said.
