MRC Lessons Learned from the ODU Tragedy

After the tragic shooting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, trained MRC volunteers deployed to provide behavioral health support to students and faculty. Their experiences highlight the importance of preparedness, self-care, and responder support.

The Virginia Behavioral Health (VBH) MRC Statewide Unit met to learn from the experiences of the Unit’s volunteers, who are also members of the Virginia Crisis and Response Team (VCART). They met with both students and ODU faculty to provide support after the shooting. Volunteers used skills such as active listening and validated the experiences of those affected by the incident. For some, this was the first deployment opportunity to utilize their skills learned from both VCART and VBH MRC Unit training. As members of the VBH-MRC Unit, these volunteers receive training regarding victim assistance in instances of mass casualty incidents that are criminal in nature.

During the meeting, the volunteers and unit leaders discussed the importance of self-care, debriefing, and reflection on the stress responses they may have felt after the deployment. They also discussed actions volunteers can take to cope, such as having intentional downtime and doing recreational activities.

The VBH MRC Unit Coordinator plans to host another webinar in which VCART Coordinators will present on the response and VBH Volunteers along with local behavioral health authorities will be invited to attend.

Investing in community volunteer programs strengthens resilience by ensuring communities have trained volunteers who can support public health and emergency response before, during, and after an emergency.