President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attend a memorial service for Navy Yard shooting victims. Photo courtesy of AP/USA Today.

The Navy has deployed social workers and other mental health professionals to help the survivors of last week’s Navy Yard shooting in Washington, D.C., according to this article in the Washington Post.

Thousands of employees in the area have returned to work but many may suffer from trauma and distress.

“We will come together as a family to deal with this,” Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said.

The shooting left 12 people dead, including the gunman, and dozens of others injured.

The Navy Yard shooting underscores the need for gun control and more mental health services. To learn more about the National Association of Social Workers’ position on the shooting and these issues read this entry in NASW’s Social Work Blog. And to learn how social workers help people from all walks of life visit NASW’s HelpStartsHere.org consumer website.