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, orFor
some people, grief can berecovery of communities andnewspaper coverage, many people
delayed. For others grief may not everindividuals after disasters.
can be suddenly and deeply affected
be evident.
by grief over the loss of loved ones,friends, or relatives. Leaders play critical roles in therecovery of communities and individuals after disasters.
Communicate Effectively with Your Community
Leaders hear and understand the present emotions andWorry and distress can spread within and amongneeds of their community and identify the way forward.
communities, resulting in rumors and distortion of theThey communicate and reflect the community’s feelings
facts of the event. Therefore, special attention should beand shared 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, are seeking
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
Keepmessages as simple as possible, repeat frequently,and families. In the short term, many people experienceand emphasize 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 loveddepending 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.
friends
post office, grocery, and PTA) provide channels forcommunication.
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.
Return to school nearly always calms children but can bestressful for parents.
■ Know the status of existing and available resources
Monitor emerging needs and support fellow
community leaders and structures (such as schools, health,and public safety).
■ 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, and family who remind you to rest and canobjectively advise you about things you do not see or do
Not recognize 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.psychiatry.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