Family Assistance Resources

Helpful information and other assistance for your family's wellness.

Michigan 2-1-1 Call Center Help Line

Knowing you need help is one thing. Finding someone who can help you is another. The best number to dial is 2-1-1. Find out more below.
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Comcast Internet Essentials

This program provides eligible families with affordable home Internet service and a low cost computer. Families will be eligible if they have at least one child receiving free school lunches through the National School Lunch Program. For additional information please go to http://www.internetessentials.com

DTE Energy Energy Savings FACT SHEET

Detailing four main energy saving behaviors that can reduce your famil's energy costs.
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DTE Energy Assistance Highlights

An overview of assistance options for families having, or expect to have, problems paying their energy bills.
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DTE Energy Case Management Program

DTE Energy’s Case Management Program is designed to help customers lower their outstanding energy bills and independently manage bill paymentss.
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Emergency Services Contracts - Wayne County Department of Human Services

A listing of homeless sheltes and emergency food contacts.
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Metro Detroit Interfatih Warmth

Resoruce guide for utility assistances, energy effciency and weatherization programs that are available in the Metro are.
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Resources for the Uninsured

Free and no cost medical, dential and psychological services.
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Sesame Street Workshop, "When Families Grieve."

Materials were prepared as part of the work for military deployment and focused on family responses, the science behind it is good. The materials include "A Guide for Parents and Caregivers."
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Tax Services for Free

Community tax sites prepares taxes for free to families with incomes under $50,000.
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Wayne County Health on Wheels

Mobile Health Unit Program Schedule
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Tips for Talking to Children and Youth After Traumatic Events

Dates for Trauma Parent and Child Support Groups at Kids-TALK CAC

Parents often ask how they can best support their children and young adults as they too grapple with news of incomprehensible tragedy. The attached document from the National Association of School Psychologists provides some helpful information about talking with children about violence.

There are several key messages, reinforced in the attached document, that are important to keep in mind:

• Limit exposure to the media - radio, television, online. Developmentally inappropriate information can cause anxiety or confusion, particularly in young children. Adults also need to be mindful of the conversations that they have with each other in front of children, even teenagers, and limit their exposure to vengeful, hateful, and angry comments that may be misunderstood.
• Reassure children of their safety in our schools. Our school staff works with students, parents, our local police and fire departments, and community leaders to keep our schools safe as possible.
• Our schools have a daily security plan in place, we limit access to our schools by locking our doors and monitoring who comes in and out, we practice drills to keep everyone safe, and we ask everyone to be watchful and to report anything that seems out of the ordinary. We have supervision in our hallways and on our playgrounds, and we have police liaison officers from Northville Township Police Department who work directly with our schools, students and families.
• Everybody plays a role in keeping our school safe. Be observant and let an adult know if you see or hear something that makes you feel uncomfortable, nervous or frightened. There is a difference between reporting and tattling or gossiping.
• Senseless violence is hard for everyone to understand. Doing things you enjoy, sticking to a normal routine, being with friends and family help make us feel better and keep us from worrying about the event.
• Violence is never a solution to personal problems. Students can be a part of the positive solution by participating in anti-violence programs at school, learning conflict resolution skills, and seeking help from an adult if they or a peer are struggling with anger, depression or other emotions they cannot control. Programs like positive behavior support, peer mediators, Leader in Me, and playground conflict managers are ways that we work on these skills at school.

Caring for Kids Trauma, Disaster and Death: A Guide for Parents and Professionals

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Children's National Medical Center 

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Detroit Public Television and other local PBS stations are working together to bring trusted, helpful information today and in the days to come at http://www.dptv.org/kids/handling-scary-news.shtml. Initial resources include:

• The PBS Parents website has detailed information about how children of different ages perceive and respond to upsetting events. You'll find suggestions for helping your child talk about their feelings, as well as strategies to address their fears.
• Mr. Rogers discussion with parents on scary news. You can view a short video featuring him in either English or Spanish.
• For information on measures the Detroit Public Schools have taken to improve safety around schools, we suggest this video, from the fall of 2011.
• Keeping kids safe going to and from school is the topic of this interview, which aired on DPTV in August, featuring DPS Police Chief Roderic Grimes.
• And for a deeper look into teen violence and suicide, a documentary PBS aired called a Cry for Help, has a website with links to a number of resources.

Helping Children Cope After a School Shooting 

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Helping Children Cope with Tragedy Related Anxiety

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Helping Kids with Nat'l Tragedy

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Here for Each Other - PBS/Sesame Street

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Major State and Federal Resources

• Michigan Department of Education's Safe School 
• U.S. Department of Education bulletin from Secretary Duncan  sent at 12/17/2012 12:53 PM EST.
• Helping Youth and Children Recover from Traumatic Events from the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center.
• National Institute of Mental Health - Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence and Disasters
• Striving To Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere (STRYVE)  is a national initiative, led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which takes a public health approach to preventing youth violence before it starts.
• American Association of Pediatrics - Children, Terrorism & Disasters - Includes information about biological, chemical, and nuclear agents, as well as information about the psychological aspects of disasters.
• Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools - The US Department of Education Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools is the federal government's primary vehicle for reducing drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, and violence, through education and prevention activities in our nation's schools. Includes current news, publications, and information about funding opportunities.

NYTimes: How Not to Talk With Children About the Sandy Hook Shooting

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Talking to Children about the School Shooting

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The Parent Institute

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Tips for Helping Students Recovering from Traumatic Events

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Tips for Talking to Children About the Shooting

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Tips for Talking to Children After a Traumatic Event