VOICES is beginning an additional teleconference group for Parents of 9/11 victims. This will group will meet Wednesdays from 3:15-4:15 pm EST, every other week beginning May 31.

VOICES still has openings for the "Significant Others" teleconference support group open to males and females who were in a serious relationship with a 9/11 victim but were not married, such as those who were living together, domestic partners, or engaged. The group's next meeting is Monday, June 5, 2006 at 11:00 am EST.

VOICES teleconference groups are offered free of charge but registration is required. Teleconference groups are always open to new members. Check the teleconference group schedule and see which one works best for you. Interested individuals should call VOICES at (866) 505-3911 or (203) 966-3911 for more information.

In observance of Memorial Day, VOICES office will be closed on Monday, May 29th. We will return to the office on Tuesday and are available from 9am to 5pm for your questions or a consultation with one of VOICES mental health professionals. Enjoy the holiday!

Caps and gowns are in abundance in May and June – seen on everyone from preschoolers as they participate in their moving up celebrations to high school and college students who are embarking on new phases of life. The graduation rite of passage signifies the completion of a set of accomplishments and the beginning of new challenges. The transition from what has been comfortable and familiar to the unknown can be exciting yet bring on some uneasiness.

For families in which a loved one died on September 11th, a graduation can be a bittersweet event. While others may be filled with joy, the graduate and family members who are missing someone special may be surprised by an array of emotions – you may feel angry at not being able to share the day with a significant person, resentful of others who did not endure the tragedy of 9/11, or proud of children moving on. However, it is important to celebrate what has been achieved, especially under such difficult circumstances. Graduations mark how far one has come and all the effort required to reach a goal. Click here for a suggestions of things to keep in mind during graduation season .

A new Red Cross Mental Health Survey has determined that almost five years after 9/11 two-thirds of people who received therapy following 9/11 still suffer symptoms of grief. Forty-three percent of the 1,500 adult respondents say they still need counseling and other services including financial assistance and medical services. The "Survey of 9/11-Affected Clients Served By the American Red Cross September 11 Recovery Program," (click here for a .pdf of the full report) also found that uniformed responders and people who were closest to the recovery at ground zero have suffered most from mental distress. Half the children of families in treatment are still psychologically scarred, participants said. Another study released this week, conduced by Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, finds that the children of emergency medical technicians are especially at risk of traumatic after effects from 9/11. The survey found that 18.9 percent of public-school students with EMT parents or relatives had "probable" PTSD six months after 9/11. By comparison, only 5.6 percent of kids in firefighters' families had symptoms, according to New York Post coverage.

The Red Cross set aside a significant portion of the 1billion dollars in donations it received after 9/11 for long-term mental and physical health treatments--founding the American Red Cross September 11 Recovery Program. The study reinforces how important that foresight was, because grief often takes time to become symptomatic: "This was a terrorist event. Post-traumatic stress disorder could take years to manifest itself," said Alan D. Goodman, executive director of the program. Adding to mental stress are slow-developing physical ailments caused by exposure to toxic particles during the recovery process. "They have to deal with the loss of their health and their strength. That affects them emotionally," Goodman added, as quoted in the New York Post.

Enrollment in Red Cross 9/11 mental health treatment services will continue through January 2007. So anyone affected by the attacks can still sign up for assistance. Once enrolled, people can receive services through the end of 2007. The toll-free telephone number for enrolling is 1-800-LIFENET. Voices of September 11th is a proud recipient of a Red Cross recovery grant to provide mental health services to the 9/11 community including teleconference and in-person support groups, anxiety and depression screenings, and private consultations with mental health professionals. The Red Cross also partially sponsors wellness and resiliency programs at our September 10th Information Forum. Please do not hesitate to contact our office toll-free at 1-866-505-3911 with any questions or to speak with a mental health professional.

Click for a list of ongoing medical offerings for Ground Zero workers

The prevalence of "WTC Illness" among rescue and recovery workers at the Twin Towers continues to receive extensive press coverage in New York newspapers as well as national news telecasts. The coverage reflects both the extent of the problems Ground Zero workers continue to face as well as the vocal effort to secure funding for long-term monitoring of these lingering conditions. This week, ABC Channel 7 "Eyewitness News" aired an alarming report on the severity of health conditions faced by 9/11 responders and the array of dangerous heavy metals in the air after the attacks. Click here to watch the report, a transcript is also available on the page.

Worker's compensation claims related to service on 9/11 are also a hot topic. Rudy Washington, Deputy Mayor of New York City during the 9/11 attacks, has suffered respiratory ailments he claims are linked to service at Ground Zero. However, he missed the filing deadline for compensation and the city was moving to deny his claim until some high profile friends, including his former boss Rudy Giuliani, intervened and City lawyers backed off, according to NY Post coverage. Washington is among 290 city workers who missed the two-year deadline. According to Michael Cardozo, a lawyer for the city, the New York received over 1,200 workers' comp claims related to 9/11 before the two-year limit and paid out benefits for 96.5 percent of them, totaling about $4.3 million. Cardozo noted that there are 776 people suing the city for compensation for injuries and illnesses sustained at Ground Zero in civil lawsuits separate from the compensation claims. Although he intervened on behalf of Rudy Washington, Mayor Mike Bloomberg defended the city's vigorous vetting of 9/11 claims. "The city has a fiscal responsibility to try to make sure that only claims that relate to 9/11 are legitimate," Bloomberg is quoted in the New York Post.

Wednesday June 7, 2006
Time: 4 pm to 8 pm
Location: The Living Room at JFS 1485 Teaneck Road Teaneck, NJ 07666, click for directions

Information: The Living Room in cooperation with Jewish Family and Vocational Services of Middlesex County cordially invites you to Back Up, Rewind, & Settle Your Soul. Enjoy events and Activities for Adults, Teens, Children, and Seniors featuring: ● Bread Making with Professor Bread ● Yoga with Martin Bland ● Art Programs ● Massage ● Meditation with Rabbi Gil Steinlauf ● Chocolate Therapy with Le Chocolat. Evening will include refreshments & a light supper; dietary laws observed.

Contact: Please let us know you’re coming – call Laura at 201-837–9090 or send us an e-mail at thelivingroom@jfsbergen.org and read the event flyer

Following their highly successful visit to our New Canaan Office, StoryCorps will visit Rockland County, NY next month to record interviews with more VOICES families. StoryCorps will be recording Saturday, June 17 and Thursday, June 22 at the office of Hospice of Rockland County, 11 Stokum Lane in New City, NY. Reservations are required. For more information or to make a reservation please contact VOICES at (866) 505-3911 or (203) 966-3911. Each interview will take approximately one hour.

A StoryCorps MobileBooth will still be recording interviews in Washington, D.C. until Sunday, May 28, 2006, and will be parked in front of the Library of Congress' Madison Building.

Special access to reservations will be provided to those affiliated with Voices of September 11th.

StoryCorps is a national project created to inspire and enable people to record each other’s stories in sound. In 2005, StoryCorps began a special initiative to record the stories of those closely impacted by September 11th. This initiative has two components:

• StoryCorps provides families, friends, and co-workers with a way to celebrate and commemorate the lives of loved ones lost on September 11th by creating audio portraits of their lives. By telling stories and sharing memories of your loved one, you preserve their legacy for future generations.
• StoryCorps records the stories of survivors, rescue workers, police officers, volunteers, witnesses, or anyone closely impacted by September 11th in order to preserve their personal experiences for history. Click here to read more about the recording process

To make a reservation, please contact Tracy Serdjenian at 646.723.7025 x32 or by e-mail at tracy@storycorps.net. For more information about StoryCorps, including the New York City StoryBooths and the national MobileBooth Tour, visit www.storycorps.net. For more information about StoryCorps’ efforts related to September 11th, visit www.storycorps.net/wtc.

May 26 -- Senate passes immigration bill; GOP advocate of crackdown pledges ‘battle' -- A bipartisan coalition held together to give President Bush the comprehensive immigration bill that he says he wants. But the president may have to shatter his own party's unity in the House of Representatives if the bill is to become law. (USA Today)

May 24 -- Bin Laden: Moussaoui Not Linked to 9/11 -- Osama bin Laden purportedly said in an audio tape Tuesday that Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person convicted in the U.S. for the Sept. 11 attacks had nothing to do with the operation. (Associated Press)

May 25 -- Eight Plans to Cut Costs at Ground Zero -- Next Tuesday, a working group set up by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and the trade center memorial foundation expects to have cost estimates for a menu of eight alternate plans for a memorial at ground zero, each costing under $500 million. (NY Times)

May 23 -- Judge Reaffirms Moussaoui Evidence Ruling -- A federal judge on Friday reaffirmed her ruling that gives some families of Sept. 11 victims access to evidence in the Zacarias Moussaoui trial as part of two civil lawsuits that have been filed. (Associated Press)