FU4J Response Team
The Family Intervention Crisis Team, Family CIT or FCIT, is a collaboration of FU4J's families working together to support each other and embrace newly affected families of police violence. We are dedicated to bringing holistic healing to families and communities that has suffered the traumatic experience of police violence. Services can range from emotional support, families event, vigils, healing circles, navigating the criminal justice system, financial support, to creating space for traumatized victim families to tell their story.
Understanding the Grief Stages
Our Family Crisis Intervention Team, victims themselves, know the process of navigating the grief stages. Grief reactions may be manifested long after the physical loss of a loved one. For example, parents may find that they re-experience feelings of loss many years later, such as when they see friends of their murdered child graduate from high school or college, get a job or start a family. Parents may have believed that, in the natural order of life, the older generation should die first; if so, they may have great difficulty with the fact that their young or grown children were killed while they themselves still live, thus violating this expectation.
Siblings may feel guilt in moving on with their lives — for example, getting married or having a family. This may be especially true if these plans were not already in existence when the victim died or if the murder occurred at a time when the victim had similar plans. When the victim was also the survivor’s confidant or best friend, then the love and support which normally might have been available to help the survivor in the aftermath of the murder may be especially missed. The survivor may feel even more alone than ever. Family members may have had a conflicted relationship with the victim. The fact that their loved one has died means that these issues or bad feelings will remain unresolved, leaving the survivor with the additional loss of hope that things could have been worked out while the victim lived. Many need assistance in planning vigils, assistance getting back and forth to court, help in planning funeral services, and so much more.
Homicide survivors may experience many other kinds of loss after the murder. Because of the suddenness of the death and the stigma of the murder itself, family members may find drastic changes in their lifestyle afterwards. Some of these other kinds of losses may include:
• Loss of self, a sense of having been “changed” from the person they used to be;
• Loss of a sense of control over their lives;
• Loss of independence or a greater need for dependence on other individuals and/or institutions to address the wrong that was done to them and their loved one;
• Loss of social support or social standing, with increased feelings of isolation and loneliness;
• Loss of a sense of safety and security;
• Loss or questioning of faith or religion. Very often, homicide survivors may question how God could let something like this happen to someone they love. If survivors believe that good things are a reward for a good life and their loved one was a good person, then the question of how this could happen can be very difficult for survivors; and
• Loss of community or physical environment. After the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City left 168 men, women and children dead, the surviving residents had to adapt, not only to the physical alteration of their city by the blast, but also the loss of relatives and friends.
Our victim family support groups have trained advocates who can accompany families to hearings, trial proceedings, meetings with the coroner, etc., providing emotional support and information about the process. The criminal justice system of motions and appeals can be quite confusing when you have little or no information about what is happening and why. The need to learn as much as possible about the criminal system presents itself just when family members’ nerves are already stretched close to the breaking point. Through participation in support groups, many homicide survivors have found that others who have been through the same experience have also had similar reactions. They find that they have permission to openly express the pain of their loss, speak the unspeakable and finally reveal “revenge fantasies” — which are a normal reaction to violent victimizations. For these reasons, our support groups can be very “normalizing” for families and friends of victims, allowing them to feel that they are not going crazy and that others are experiencing and surviving the same depth, complexity and confusion of emotions.
The support group setting also permits survivors who are further along in their healing to give hope to those who are newly bereaved or who are having an especially difficult time. Through providing and receiving support, survivors are able to help each other and to see that some good is able to come out of the pain that they have experienced. Although some people may find that they still prefer one-to-one counseling or support services, it might be useful to try several group support meetings. This is because people are often surprised at how helpful they are over time. However, a word of caution is in order here — sometimes people report feeling worse for a while after attending a support group meeting. This is because many of the painful feelings have been brought to the surface. As difficult as this may be at the time, many survivors state that this process ultimately helps them to progress through the grieving process. What they have found is that there is no way to get through the grief except to just go through it, however difficult it may be. People who have lost family and friends through murder have stated that they often experience an immediate and close bond with other homicide survivors, even if they had never met them before and even if they do not have the opportunity to meet them face-to-face. Your donation is extremely important and will greatly be of a benefit to the grieving families.
The F.C.I.T is a traveling team. Three members and one a clinical psychologist. Dr. Tony Jackson is a clinical psychologist and co-director of PranaMind. His clinical experience includes tours with Children’s Hospital-Oakland, New Leaf Treatment Center, Oakland Community Counseling and Sunset Day Treatment Center in San Francisco. Dr. Jackson will assist the CIT to deal with challenging situations.
Additionally, our F.C.I..T will create a mental health advisory board to assist with developing, recommending, and reviewing training that could greatly aid in helping families recover from the initial trauma experienced.
Family CIT responsibilities will include, but not limited to:
*Traveling to where family has suffered the traumatic loss of a loved one to police shooting
*Escorting families experiencing mental-health crisis to hospitals for evaluation.
*Utilizing Fire Department’s community medical unit to assist in crisis situations.
*When possible, making sure mental-health incidents are not treated as criminal offenses.
*Helping families through their grieving process
*Assisting in organizing vigils.
*Providing space for family support group therapy.
According to The Guardian, “The Counted, People Killed by Police in the US”, the need for a Family Crisis Intervention Team is extremely important.
Why a Family C.I.T
When someone is murdered, the death is sudden, violent, final and incomprehensible. The loved one is no longer there — the shared plans and dreams are no longer possible. The loss of the relationship will be grieved in different ways by all those who felt close to the victim because their relationships with the victim were all different.
Grief reactions may be manifested long after the physical loss of a loved one. For example, parents may find that they re-experience feelings of loss many years later, such as when they see friends of their murdered child graduate from high school or college, get a job or start a family.
Parents may have believed that, in the natural order of life, the older generation should die first; if so, they may have great difficulty with the fact that their young or grown children were killed while they themselves still live, thus violating this expectation.
Siblings may feel guilt in moving on with their lives — for example, getting married or having a family. This may be especially true if these plans were not already in existence when the victim died or if the murder occurred at a time when the victim had similar plans. When the victim was also the survivor’s confidant or best friend, then the love and support which normally might have been available to help the survivor in the aftermath of the murder may be especially missed. The survivor may feel even more alone than ever.
Family members may have had a conflicted relationship with the victim. The fact that their loved one has died means that these issues or bad feelings will remain unresolved, leaving the survivor with the additional loss of hope that things could have been worked out while the victim lived.
Losing a child to police killing is one of the most traumatic experiences that any family can experience. Recovery from such a lost can not happen without support. Our Family Crisis Intervention Team, as victims themselves, know the process of navigating the grief stages. Your donations will greatly enable our Family CIT to continue to assist these victims families. Many need assistance in planning vigils, assistance getting back and forth to court, help in planning funeral services, and so much more.
Why now? Financial Losses
Homicide survivors may lose much more than their loved one following the murder. There may be a significant loss of income in the family, especially if the victim was the primary “breadwinner.” Other family members may find they are unable to go to work because they cannot concentrate or because they need to be present at court hearings and may subsequently lose their jobs. There may be loss of the family home if mortgage payments cannot be made. Plans for school may have to be postponed because of financial difficulties or because survivors cannot concentrate on work or studies. If the victim survived briefly before dying, extraordinary medical bills may have been incurred for which the family may not have had sufficient insurance coverage. In the last 30 days, families needing assistance is critical. The emotional loss combine with the financial loss creates and tremendous amount of stress that leads to mental unstableness. Your donations will assist us in traveling to families affected by this traumatic experience, providing financial assistance in the burial process, paying for obituaries, assisting families in paying their rent to avoid evictions, and in other areas that can help these families survive their financial loss.
Other Losses
Homicide survivors may experience many other kinds of loss after the murder. Because of the suddenness of the death and the stigma of the murder itself, family members may find drastic changes in their lifestyle afterwards. Some of these other kinds of losses may include:
• Loss of self, a sense of having been “changed” from the person they used to be;
• Loss of a sense of control over their lives;
• Loss of independence or a greater need for dependence on other individuals and/or institutions to address the wrong that was done to them and their loved one;
• Loss of social support or social standing, with increased feelings of isolation and loneliness;
• Loss of a sense of safety and security;
• Loss or questioning of faith or religion. Very often, homicide survivors may question how God could let something like this happen to someone they love. If survivors believe that good things are a reward for a good life and their loved one was a good person, then the question of how this could happen can be very difficult for survivors; and
• Loss of community or physical environment. After the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City left 168 men, women and children dead, the surviving residents had to adapt, not only to the physical alteration of their city by the blast, but also the loss of relatives and friends.
Black Health Matters
Siblings may feel guilt in moving on with their lives — for example, getting married or having a family. This may be especially true if these plans were not already in existence when the victim died or if the murder occurred at a time when the victim had similar plans. When the victim was also the survivor’s confidant or best friend, then the love and support which normally might have been available to help the survivor in the aftermath of the murder may be especially missed. The survivor may feel even more alone than ever. Family members may have had a conflicted relationship with the victim. The fact that their loved one has died means that these issues or bad feelings will remain unresolved, leaving the survivor with the additional loss of hope that things could have been worked out while the victim lived. Many need assistance in planning vigils, assistance getting back and forth to court, help in planning funeral services, and so much more.
Homicide survivors may experience many other kinds of loss after the murder. Because of the suddenness of the death and the stigma of the murder itself, family members may find drastic changes in their lifestyle afterwards. Some of these other kinds of losses may include:
• Loss of self, a sense of having been “changed” from the person they used to be;
• Loss of a sense of control over their lives;
• Loss of independence or a greater need for dependence on other individuals and/or institutions to address the wrong that was done to them and their loved one;
• Loss of social support or social standing, with increased feelings of isolation and loneliness;
• Loss of a sense of safety and security;
• Loss or questioning of faith or religion. Very often, homicide survivors may question how God could let something like this happen to someone they love. If survivors believe that good things are a reward for a good life and their loved one was a good person, then the question of how this could happen can be very difficult for survivors; and
• Loss of community or physical environment. After the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City left 168 men, women and children dead, the surviving residents had to adapt, not only to the physical alteration of their city by the blast, but also the loss of relatives and friends.
Our victim family support groups have trained advocates who can accompany families to hearings, trial proceedings, meetings with the coroner, etc., providing emotional support and information about the process. The criminal justice system of motions and appeals can be quite confusing when you have little or no information about what is happening and why. The need to learn as much as possible about the criminal system presents itself just when family members’ nerves are already stretched close to the breaking point. Through participation in support groups, many homicide survivors have found that others who have been through the same experience have also had similar reactions. They find that they have permission to openly express the pain of their loss, speak the unspeakable and finally reveal “revenge fantasies” — which are a normal reaction to violent victimizations. For these reasons, our support groups can be very “normalizing” for families and friends of victims, allowing them to feel that they are not going crazy and that others are experiencing and surviving the same depth, complexity and confusion of emotions.
The support group setting also permits survivors who are further along in their healing to give hope to those who are newly bereaved or who are having an especially difficult time. Through providing and receiving support, survivors are able to help each other and to see that some good is able to come out of the pain that they have experienced. Although some people may find that they still prefer one-to-one counseling or support services, it might be useful to try several group support meetings. This is because people are often surprised at how helpful they are over time. However, a word of caution is in order here — sometimes people report feeling worse for a while after attending a support group meeting. This is because many of the painful feelings have been brought to the surface. As difficult as this may be at the time, many survivors state that this process ultimately helps them to progress through the grieving process. What they have found is that there is no way to get through the grief except to just go through it, however difficult it may be. People who have lost family and friends through murder have stated that they often experience an immediate and close bond with other homicide survivors, even if they had never met them before and even if they do not have the opportunity to meet them face-to-face. Your donation is extremely important and will greatly be of a benefit to the grieving families.
The F.C.I.T is a traveling team. Three members and one a clinical psychologist. Dr. Tony Jackson is a clinical psychologist and co-director of PranaMind. His clinical experience includes tours with Children’s Hospital-Oakland, New Leaf Treatment Center, Oakland Community Counseling and Sunset Day Treatment Center in San Francisco. Dr. Jackson will assist the CIT to deal with challenging situations.
Additionally, our F.C.I..T will create a mental health advisory board to assist with developing, recommending, and reviewing training that could greatly aid in helping families recover from the initial trauma experienced.
Family CIT responsibilities will include, but not limited to:
*Traveling to where family has suffered the traumatic loss of a loved one to police shooting
*Escorting families experiencing mental-health crisis to hospitals for evaluation.
*Utilizing Fire Department’s community medical unit to assist in crisis situations.
*When possible, making sure mental-health incidents are not treated as criminal offenses.
*Helping families through their grieving process
*Assisting in organizing vigils.
*Providing space for family support group therapy.
According to The Guardian, “The Counted, People Killed by Police in the US”, the need for a Family Crisis Intervention Team is extremely important.
Why a Family C.I.T
When someone is murdered, the death is sudden, violent, final and incomprehensible. The loved one is no longer there — the shared plans and dreams are no longer possible. The loss of the relationship will be grieved in different ways by all those who felt close to the victim because their relationships with the victim were all different.
Grief reactions may be manifested long after the physical loss of a loved one. For example, parents may find that they re-experience feelings of loss many years later, such as when they see friends of their murdered child graduate from high school or college, get a job or start a family.
Parents may have believed that, in the natural order of life, the older generation should die first; if so, they may have great difficulty with the fact that their young or grown children were killed while they themselves still live, thus violating this expectation.
Siblings may feel guilt in moving on with their lives — for example, getting married or having a family. This may be especially true if these plans were not already in existence when the victim died or if the murder occurred at a time when the victim had similar plans. When the victim was also the survivor’s confidant or best friend, then the love and support which normally might have been available to help the survivor in the aftermath of the murder may be especially missed. The survivor may feel even more alone than ever.
Family members may have had a conflicted relationship with the victim. The fact that their loved one has died means that these issues or bad feelings will remain unresolved, leaving the survivor with the additional loss of hope that things could have been worked out while the victim lived.
Losing a child to police killing is one of the most traumatic experiences that any family can experience. Recovery from such a lost can not happen without support. Our Family Crisis Intervention Team, as victims themselves, know the process of navigating the grief stages. Your donations will greatly enable our Family CIT to continue to assist these victims families. Many need assistance in planning vigils, assistance getting back and forth to court, help in planning funeral services, and so much more.
Why now? Financial Losses
Homicide survivors may lose much more than their loved one following the murder. There may be a significant loss of income in the family, especially if the victim was the primary “breadwinner.” Other family members may find they are unable to go to work because they cannot concentrate or because they need to be present at court hearings and may subsequently lose their jobs. There may be loss of the family home if mortgage payments cannot be made. Plans for school may have to be postponed because of financial difficulties or because survivors cannot concentrate on work or studies. If the victim survived briefly before dying, extraordinary medical bills may have been incurred for which the family may not have had sufficient insurance coverage. In the last 30 days, families needing assistance is critical. The emotional loss combine with the financial loss creates and tremendous amount of stress that leads to mental unstableness. Your donations will assist us in traveling to families affected by this traumatic experience, providing financial assistance in the burial process, paying for obituaries, assisting families in paying their rent to avoid evictions, and in other areas that can help these families survive their financial loss.
Other Losses
Homicide survivors may experience many other kinds of loss after the murder. Because of the suddenness of the death and the stigma of the murder itself, family members may find drastic changes in their lifestyle afterwards. Some of these other kinds of losses may include:
• Loss of self, a sense of having been “changed” from the person they used to be;
• Loss of a sense of control over their lives;
• Loss of independence or a greater need for dependence on other individuals and/or institutions to address the wrong that was done to them and their loved one;
• Loss of social support or social standing, with increased feelings of isolation and loneliness;
• Loss of a sense of safety and security;
• Loss or questioning of faith or religion. Very often, homicide survivors may question how God could let something like this happen to someone they love. If survivors believe that good things are a reward for a good life and their loved one was a good person, then the question of how this could happen can be very difficult for survivors; and
• Loss of community or physical environment. After the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City left 168 men, women and children dead, the surviving residents had to adapt, not only to the physical alteration of their city by the blast, but also the loss of relatives and friends.
Black Health Matters