To assist victims of the Las Vegas mass shooting, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Bureau of Victim Services will offer free counseling and support during two forums.
The forums, to be held Oct. 10 and Oct. 11, about a week after the one-year anniversary of the shooting, are billed by county officials as a “celebration of life and resiliency.” Events will include group discussions led by licensed clinical therapists as well as information about education resources and assistance in navigating health care services.
Victims also will get help applying for Nevada and California’s victim compensation programs to help cover bills and expenses.
“We know that many people are actually going back to Vegas this week for the memorial,” said Flerida Alarcon, chief of the Bureau of Victim Services. “We thought it would be a good idea to have something for them when they return.”
On Oct. 1, 2017, Stephen Paddock opened fire on a crowd of concert goers during the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas. The shooting left 58 people dead and 851 injured, either through gunfire or the resulting chaos, and is considered the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
The forums are open to all Las Vegas shooting victims, not just those living in the county. Alarcon said it’s hard to say how many victims will attend the forums, but expects about 20 at each.
The county’s Department of Behavioral Health and The Counseling Team International will have therapists on hand at the forums. A presentation will be given on resiliency and how those where effected by the event feel one year later.
Victims also will have a chance to meet individually with a therapist.
“We rely on victims to share their experience… That way, the therapist can identify what they can do to help them, because everyone is different,” Alarcon said.
“The therapists are able to help you and can give you the tools that you can use to help you through the grief, the pain and the loss.”
The Bureau offers crime victims crisis counseling and emergency services such as food, shelter, clothing, medical care and transportation. They also help victims navigate the criminal justice system, offer court support and referrals to other services.
Over the past year the Bureau has been assisting local Las Vegas shooting victims as they apply for compensation assistance and connect to services.
About 14,000 of the people who were at the concert last year were from California, including an estimated 1,600 from San Bernardino County, Alarcon said.
“If a crime happens in another state, they would go through that state’s (assistance) program,” Alarcon said. “But, because an exception was made (for victims of the Route 91 shooting), given that a lot of the victims were from California, it is important we make every effort that we can to provide services to victims that are in this county…
“I know that my colleagues from other counties feel the same way.”
The forums will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10 at Victor Community Support Services, 15400 Cholame Rd. in Victorville and Thursday, Oct. 11 at Mariposa Community Counseling, 2940 Inland Empire Blvd., in Ontario. Services are free and insurance is not needed.
For more information call the Bureau of Victim Services at 909-382-3846.
