Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
CSTS | Department of Psychiatry | Uniformed Services University | 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799 | www.CSTSonline.org

Grief Leadership:

Leadership in the Wake of Tragedy
In a world where we learn about■ Avoidance of activities that are
Leaders play critical roles in thetraumatic events quickly and suddenly
reminders of the event
through television, social media, or
recovery of communities andnewspaper coverage, many people canFor some people, grief can beindividuals after disasters.
be suddenly and deeply affected bydelayed. For others grief may not evergrief over the loss of loved ones, friends
be evident.
or relatives. Leaders play critical roles in the recoveryof communities and individuals after disasters. Leaders
Communicate Effectively with Your Community
identify the way forward, and hear and understand theWorry and distress can spread within and amongpresent emotions and needs of their community. They
communities, resulting in rumors and distortion of thecommunicate and reflect the community’s feelings andfacts of the event. Therefore, special attention should beshared experience in order to lead the community ingiven to optimizing communication with members of yourrecovery.
community and with those outside of your community.
Understanding how people react to tragic events andFormal and informal leaders can be role models forthe roles leaders play in recovery is critical to effective
the importance of sharing grief, communicating hope,leadership. In the aftermath of traumatic events, many
identifying facts, managing rumors and providing support
children and their parents, even those not living in close
to others as needs change over time.
proximity to the event, want to hear guidance fromtheir community’s leaders. In this acute phase, leaders
Immediate Responses
must attend to many responsibilities, including effective■ Be visible — Make public announcements andcommunication to people who have questions, seek
appearances
reassurance, and want to take action.
By providing useful and accurate information,
As shock and horror turn to sorrow and mourning,leaders can re-establish a sense of safety and enhance theleaders are responsible for identifying the timing of whencommunity’s trust in leadership.
a community is ready for the next step forward and how■ Provide Accurate, timely information on whatbest to speak the language of each community to help
is known, what is not known, and when moreindividuals, families and care providers.
information will be communicatedPress briefings, use of social media and community
Understanding Traumatic Grief
meetings can reassure families and dispel rumors. Always
People vary in their reactions to experiencing or
say when more information will be available.
learning about traumatic losses. Most will do fine over time,■ Understand that people process information
while for some the immediate reactions can last longer
differently in high stress situations
than normal and interfere with their return to their work
Keep messages as simple as possible, repeat frequently,and families. In the short term, many people experience
andemphasize positive messages (people tend to focus ontransient, but powerful grief symptoms. Early grief cannegative
information when stressed).
include:■ Use multiple channels of communication■ Waves of sadness
People Seek information from multiple sources■ Intrusive images of the traumatic event and lost loved
depending on culture, ethnicity, geography, community
ones
composition and history. TV, newspapers, radio, ministers,■ Withdrawal from close relationships with family andteachers, firefighters and local places of gathering (e.g. postfriends
office, grocery, PTA) provide channels for communication.
Continued

■■ Speak calmly and encourage working together

Leaders promote calmness, empathy, optimism, a cando attitude and collective healing and recovery. Directcommunication between parents and children is important.
Returning to school nearly always calms children but canbe stressful for parents.
■■ Know the status of existing and available resources
Monitor emerging needs, support fellow community
leaders and structures (such as schools, health, publicsafety).
■■ Provide policy and guidance without
micromanagement
Provide support to workers and volunteers with aframework for organizing and communicating policy.
Recognize you cannot be “at the front” everywhere andothers must make the tactical decisions. Foster initiativeand cooperation.
■■ Organize memorial services and sites recognizing thediversity within the community
Respect the desires and needs for families who havesustained losses. The timing of services is important.
■■ Attending funerals is important
Tears and grieving in public by leaders gives permission
to others to express grief and humanizes unthinkabletragedies.
Recovery■■ Focus on future goals
Reorient the community to future objectives, enhanced
preparedness, and “we can do it.”■■ Acknowledge those from within and outside thecommunity who want to and do help
Establish a climate of healing and community support.

■■ Provide common goals for future direction

Redirect energy into needed recovery projects andrespectful remembering and rebuilding efforts.
■■ Avoid blaming
Blame directed towards groups or individuals leads tostigma, anger, and desire for retribution. Redirect energy toproviding support and future needs.
Growing■■ Work to return community activities to normal, buttolerate if recovery is slow.
■■ Recovery takes time, is not linear, and is influenced byfuture events that are always unknown.
■■ Set and celebrate achievable goals.
■■ Community rituals provide an opportunity forindividuals and families to heal and reflect on theirexperience in their own style. These can cross racial,cultural and socioeconomic divides.
■■ Beware of identifying a “we and they”.
■■ Be alert to the fault lines such as racial or
socioeconomic differences of the community. These
tend to expand and become areas for conflict.
■■ Expect community disappointment and anger after
the initial sense of togetherness. Help the community
understand the changing trajectory of recovery.
■■ Take care of yourself. You need supporting staff, friends,
family who remind you to rest and can objectively
advise you about things you do not see or do notrecognize the importance of. Keep your advisors
informed and listen to their perspectives.

Resources
Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
National Child Traumatic Stress Network
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychological Association
American Red Cross

www.cstsonline.org
www.nctsn.org
www.aacap.org
www.aap.org
www.psych.org
www.apa.org
www.redcross.org

Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
Department of Psychiatry
Uniformed Services University
4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799
www.CSTSonline.org