HENDRICKS COUNTY, Ind. — When shots rang out inside Greenwood Park Mall nearly a week ago, Erin Coram said the wait was torture.
“Definitely the scariest thing, I think it was about 20 minutes of my life,” he said.
His son, Brady, and his girlfriend were inside the mall, texting updates while hiding inside a store. While the couple is doing well physically, Coram, who is also a licensed marriage and family therapist, said the emotional scars have yet to heal.
She and her wife were in Bloomington when the shooting happened, but quickly ran home to be there for support.
“We spent time comforting them, letting them tell their story, letting them say what they had to say,” he said, “and as more and more details came out, the scarier it got.”
Posting about what happened on Facebook, Coram said he received overwhelming support, including from colleagues who offered services to help the couple.
“I actually met with a really amazing therapist two days ago, outside of Colorado, who I know very well,” he said. “She’s a trauma therapist and she was like ‘hey, I think you need some time.'”
Shortly afterward, Coram said she realized it was more than herself and her loved ones who needed help processing what had happened.
“Brady said he was in the back with over 40 people,” he said. “Little children, parents, young, old, a little boy who had a Build-A-Bear that he had just received with his mother. All of these people went through a horrible event and need services.”
Through social media, Coram connected with other colleagues and experts. Together, they formed a referral network specifically for those affected by the Greenwood Park Mall shooting.
“We have a commitment from this group that I have put together, as it continues to grow, that they will accept it and some of them are willing to do some pro bono work. Some of them are willing to do reduced rates,” he said.
coram said the list is now live online and will update accordingly. At this time, more than 15 providers have joined the list, including Mull House Travel Advicethat Coram co-owns in Brownsburg.
The network offers a variety of services related to trauma management, such as brainspotting and EMDR.
The goal is to help connect people to services before their trauma leads to more devastating effects, such as PTSD. Guaranteed access to resources and providers comes at a time when the need for mental health services is already skyrocketing and has created difficulties in finding professional and affordable help.
Coram said offering the referral network is one way they can play a role in helping the community heal.
“The world has been through a lot, but we have to make room for people,” he said, “help people heal, help people heal themselves so that we don’t go down this path of hurting people who do things that hurt.” more people.”
Coram said he urges others to support those affected by Sunday’s shooting by simply being there, listening to them and encouraging them to talk about their experiences. He also plans to continue offering the Greenwood Park Mall referral network for as long as it takes, as some people may feel inclined to seek services later.
Coram recalled experiencing the stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair in 2011, and while he felt fine at the time, he eventually caught up with her.
“At some point, say six months later, that hit me,” he said. “I think part of the trigger for me was going to another outdoor concert. It happened to be stormy weather that day and it hit me. This may hit someone later, and it’s okay to communicate at that time too.”
If you need assistance or would like to add her services to the referral network, you can contact Coram directly at [email protected] or call the office at (317) 852-6603.