It was with great sadness that we heard the news that Dr. Charles S. Hirsch, the former Chief Medical Examiner for the City of New York, passed away on Friday, April 9. As you know, in the aftermath of the attacks on September 11th, Dr. Hirsch was responsible for coordinating the monumental effort to identify the remains of our loved ones. We had the privilege of getting to know Dr. Hirsch when we worked alongside other family members to establish a uniform notification process to contact families. Over the years, Dr.
Mary Fetchet, LCSW, a mother and clinical social worker, lost her 24-year-old son, Brad, on Sept. 11, 2001 — one of 2,977 who perished in the attacks at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Despite her grief, she used her 20 years of expertise as a mental health professional to establish Voices of September 11th (VOICES) — now an internationally recognized organization providing services for victims' families, responders and survivors.-
Voices of September 11th (VOICES) will host its annual New Jersey symposium, "Promoting Resilience in Communities Impacted by Trauma" on Wednesday, April 6, 2016. The all-day symposium, to be held at the Livingston Campus Student Center at Rutgers University in Piscataway, features presentations and panel discussions led by subject matter experts and clinicians working in the field of trauma, grief and disaster mental health. Learn More.
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We hope this finds you well. As we begin 2016, we would like to highlight VOICES ongoing initiatives that continue into the New Year, and notify you of some upcoming deadlines and events. If you have a family member or friend who may benefit from the information, we encourage you to pass it along.
To help families heal after losing a loved one to mass violence, it is critical to first recognize that the experience and needs of each family member are unique and continue to evolve for many years.