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\"It was devastating to bury another beautiful young person in Parkland,\" tweeted Pollack's brother, Hunter. \"Our community is going through tragedy again.\"

Moving forward

\"Trauma is something that doesn’t leave us after we experience it,\" Christian Burgess, director of the Disaster Distress Helpline, part of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, told ABC News on Tuesday. \"When anyone experiences any type of traumatic event where their life was threatened or the life of someone they care about was threatened, and they survive that phenomenon, it leaves the potential for severe to very severe mental health concerns such as depression, substance abuse, persistent and serious anxiety or suicidal thoughts and gestures.\"

About 60 percent \"of people that are touched by a disaster are able to bounce back fairly quickly, particularly with the support from loved ones,\" Burgess said, while about 40 percent “may exhibit severe to very severe mental health concerns.”

In the wake of Parkland's two suicides, the Jewish Adoption and Family Care Options (JAFCO), a non-profit social services agency in the Coral Springs and Parkland community, hosted an emergency meeting Sunday with therapists, CEOs of mental health agencies, concerned parents and several parents of Parkland shooting victims who wanted to help.

\"PHOTO:
Mark Wilson/Getty Images, FILE
PHOTO: Students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School gather at Pine Trail Park, on Feb. 15, 2018 in Parkland, Fla., the day after a mass shooting in the school.
>

The \"overwhelming emotion in the room was really care and concern,\" Sarah Franco, executive director of JAFCO, told ABC News on Monday.

Franco said she helped create a community center where students, teachers, parents, faculty and first responders are offered a sense of togetherness, people to confide in and wellness practices including yoga, tai chi and acupuncture.

\"We want to expose people to a wide variety of those choices because traditional therapy may not be the only choice for everyone, although of course, it is a good choice,\" she said. \"It's not gonna make the shooting go away, but it's going to help us deal.\"

Some teenagers don't want to burden their teachers or parents with their internal struggles, Franco said, and she hopes this center will be a place \"where it's OK to talk about it. Or just listen to someone else.\"

\"PHOTO:
Sun Sentinel/TNS via Getty Images, FILE
PHOTO: People wait for word from Stoneman Douglas High School students in a waiting area just south of the campus in Parkland, Fla., after a shooting on Feb. 14, 2018.
>

Warning signs

Burgess urges loved ones to watch for these warning signs exhibited in a disaster survivor:

-- Talking about wanting to die or talking about suicide. Often people say it directly, Burgess said, but others may express it more indirectly. \"They may talk about feeling helpless, or having no reason to live. They may talk about feeling trapped,\" he said, adding that whether it is communicated directly or indirectly, it should be taken seriously.
-- Increasing use of alcohol or drugs.
-- Acting anxious, agitated or reckless.
-- Sleeping too little or too much.
-- Withdrawing or isolating.
-- Extreme mood swings.

Steps

For friends and family who notice any of those warning signs, Burgess recommends these steps:

-- Ask if they are thinking of killing themselves in an \"honest dialogue.\"
-- \"Work to keep them safe,\" he said. \"If the person is suicidal or in crisis, help them develop a safety plan including trying to remove any access to lethal means.\"
-- \"Be there. Whether that's in person or on the phone … listen to them without judgment,\" he said. \"Give assurance that you’re supporting them and they’re not alone.\"
-- Help the person in crisis connect with available resources. Strengthafterdisaster.org is one resource Burgess recommends.
--Follow up and keep asking how they are doing. If they are still struggling, return to those first steps.

Franco recommends the Columbia Protocol to help determine when someone is at risk for suicide. The Columbia Protocol offers these six questions for teenagers and these six questions for parents.

Mendo, the Columbine survivor, now works with The Rebels Project, which helps mass shootings survivors find a support system. One of The Rebels Projects' new initiatives is a network for survivors to use as a tool kit, she said.

\"It gets very comfortable to back away and become more secluded. My advice is to do the opposite. Go find somebody, find a person. Find us at The Rebels Project. Find something that you're comfortable with being around and talking to just find somebody to talk to,\" Mendo said.

\"Recovery takes time,\" Burgess said, \"and recovery is possible with ongoing care and support.\"

ABC News' Brad Mielke, Victor Oquendo, David Rind and Scott Withers contributed to this report.

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