OUR STORY

Imagine for a moment that you are living in a community that has recently suffered injuries or loss of life to suicide or violence or natural disaster.. While you may be grateful that those closest to you were not seriously harmed, others in your community may be experiencing intense loss and distress of a potentially traumatic kind. At such a time you might want to know that there is some way in which these neighbors would receive community support.

The Santa Barbara Response Network (SBRN) is a nonprofit organization that mobilizes caring volunteers with training in how to provide compassionate social support in the aftermath of tragic events. This is not a counseling or mental health program, and instead, it focuses on empowering people whose resilience is being strained by the pain of loss.

The Santa Barbara Response Network is an organization of trained volunteers who offer services such as psychological first aid (PFA), stress management, education about short-term coping and long-term wellness behaviors, and referrals to local agencies for continued care. “Deaths and other traumatic events trigger tremendous stress and anguish, not only among immediate family and friends but also across the entire community,” explained Jina Carvalho, “SBRN provides aid to community members in the face of traumatic stress and profound grief.”

SBRN leads training in Psychological First Aid for volunteers, businesses, schools, and organizations. Additionally, the network partners with local public safety and first responders to ensure the most effective measures are taken in the wake of a tragic incident

The Santa Barbara Response Network is committed to nurturing the development of resilient, self-empowered communities that are supported by their own members.