Approximately seven months after the Robb School Massacre on May 24th, 2022,  many people in Uvalde are continuing to struggle with symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other emotional trauma, anxiety and depression. Katherine Maxwell-Rambie and Jayme Johnston spoke about the Resiliency Center to the Rotary Club of Uvalde on Thursday, January 19th.

  According to Katherine Maxwell-Rambie Community Liaison and Jayme Johnston Program Manager of the Resiliency Center, the organization is dedicated to staying in Uvalde to provide free counseling and support for anyone in Uvalde facing emotional trauma, needing encouragement and help overcoming life’s obstacles. The Center provides a variety of services including private counseling, play therapy, art therapy for children, parents, adults and senior citizens.

“When the Uvalde tragedy happened, the Center was called to come help Uvalde,” Maxwel-Rambie said

“We serve everyone,” Maxwell Rambie She went on to say the services they provide are free and not based on the ability to pay.

“The Resiliency Center would not be here without the Ecumenical Center,” Maxwell Rambie said, referring to the Ecumenical Center for Education. Counseling. Health.

  Some of the categories of people the Center has helped include students and families at Robb School, first responders, medical care professionals and many others.

“Not everyone’s treatment looks the same and not everyone’s healing looks the same. We’re here to help everyone.” Johnston said. 

The Resiliency Center is currently located behind on the grounds of the Uvalde County Fairplex. Their future location will be located at the former First State Bank building located on East Main Street. The Center has plans to expand their services to include a place for kids to have a place to do homework with pizza and other activities. 

The following information was published on the Rotary Club of Uvalde Facebook Page

Take advantage of all their services FREE to the community.

• Counseling services (children, adolescent, adult)
• Trauma-informed crisis support
• Play Therapy
• Navigation
• Music Therapy
• Grief Support
• Art Therapy

They are open for walk-ins and appointments.

Phone: 830-276-1369

Email: Uvalde.Together22@gmail.com

Website: www.UvaldeTogether.org

Currently Located behind the

Uvalde County Fairplex

215 Veterans Lane, Uvalde, TX 78801

Tuesday – Friday 11 a.m – 7 p.m

Saturday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m

According to the Travis Manion Website it states: “On January 6-8 2023, Run For Their Lives, a relay team this year (5 runners) will be stepping off at 0600 from VFW Post 8790 Houston, TX to City of Uvalde Town Square in Uvalde, TX to raise PTSD Awareness. The RFTL Team will run 300+ miles, placing a flag every mile along I-10. We will honor a veteran/1st responders who lost their lives due to PTSD and honoring those veterans struggling with PTSD/mental health. We will also honor those lives lost at the UVALDE school shooting.
The 2023 Run For Their Lives team will fundraise to help the Uvalde community. There is a current need to support organizations that assist families that lost a child and are having a hard time coping or children who are suffering with coping with ptsd due to the tragic circumstances that occurred at Robb Elementary.

“We are soaking in the last 21 miles with lots of emotions. So we will still be arriving at town square at 4pm then finishing at American Legion.” Lupita Hernandez said.

 Jason Opalinski served in the U.S. Army in the early 2000’s and was deployed for over a year in Iraq, During his tour of duty, his experiences in an active war zone where surprise attacks by the enemy and the real danger of improvised explosive devices or IEDs hidden along roadways many which destroyed vehicles and also killed or injured soldiers her served left him with a hidden injury of the mind: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD.

 Opalinski now spends each Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve sedated in his bedroom at home wearing headphones that block out the noise of fireworks outside going off. It’s a routine that he uses to cope with his PTSD

   In the weeks following the May 24th Robb School shooting while visiting Uvalde for work, he visited the Robb School Memorial.

  “My goal is to not only get the proper final chapter to the ones we lost but also give hope to the survivors.  Unfortunately for the survivors, this is their brand new first chapter. The creation of this children’s book that I would like to put together is to depict what our lost victims would have been; what they wanted to be and give the families these happy endings that are deserved and not the nightmare of what is.”

 “Not only chapters of the ones that we lost but also the survivors, to hopefully turn their fear into hope. Taking their fears and turning them into strengths by collaborating with the children and their families to create an amazing story not only to help identify their fear but to turn it into something better.”

 Opalinski went on to talk about PTSD and the need for education and awareness training.

 “Many people know what PTSD is, but they do not understand what PTSD is. There needs to be education and awareness of PTSD; not just know what those four letters represent.   Which leads to greater sensitivity and cultural competence in both academic and corporate settings as it pertains to recognizing, appreciating and responding to mental health symptoms.  So that way we can maintain the dignity of our students, our peers, our staff and whomever else we encounter that has these symptoms. So that way, when we are able to recognize these symptoms we’ll know how to address these symptoms; never diagnosing, only helping them to cope.”

” To make sure someone does not experience the same insensitivity as I did due to my PTSD in a personal and professional manner. That is done by showing the positive effects that PTSD mental health recognition and sensory training has for not only just for the employer, but  the employees, the students, the teacher and everyone involved, ” he said.

 “There is no other area such as Military City USA and its surrounding areas who have likely experienced trauma in bulk. This area is a hotbed for trauma,” he said.

Opalinski concluded with,  “But one thing is certain. We are going around in circles in the way we approach this topic. 20 years since Columbine, we are having the same conversations of why these same things happen and what we believe contributes to it. Therefore we put down and stigmatize the people that are already struggling. “

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