Victim’s advocates say Tennessee is not fully prepared for the next crisis
Mental health experts said now is the time to better prepare for Tennessee’s next tragedy, especially when it comes to supporting victims.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Working moms like Noelle Rasmussen say they are rarely rattled. That is until someone or something threatens their families.
Rasmussen, her husband and their two young kids survived the 2020 Christmas Day bombing in downtown Nashville.
“There were cars on fire. Water was pouring out of unknown places,” said Rasmussen. “I’ve just never known such humility or devastation.”
The recovery process required much more than just rebuilding their condo. One week after the explosion, Rasmussen had her first panic attack.
Four months later her 4-year-old started to exhibit signs of PTSD.
“He began to feel very overwhelmed and would run away from home in these very distressing episodes,” said Rasmussen.
The family went through a year of trauma therapy.
Today, they are still needing help, and the Rasmussens are not alone.
Valerie Craig, the co-founder of Tennessee Voices for Victims, said Tennessee is not fully prepared for the next crisis, especially in rural communities.
“But even in urban areas, if the numbers are big enough, you need additional help,” said Craig.
To address the issue, Craig has been working with district attorneys across the state to create mass violence victim advocacy response teams in every judicial district.
The trained teams would help with both physical and mental recovery in the short and long term.
“I don’t know that I can stress how important it is to have these things in place,” said Craig.
The idea is to be ready because the Rasmussen’s are not the first victims of a crisis in Tennessee. Sadly, they will not be the last.
“Every community will suffer if members of their community fall,” said Rasmussen.
If you live in Davidson County and are experiencing trauma right now you can reach out to the Family Intervention Program at 615-862-7773.
For help outside of Davidson County or if you want to get involved in the advocacy response teams initiative you can contact Tennessee Voices For Victims at 615-513-8707.
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