Crisis Counseling Available For Floridians Affected By Wilma
Project HOPE to help with mental-health referrals, direct counseling
Release Date: November 18, 2005
Release Number: 1609-026
» More Information on Florida Hurricane Wilma
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Crisis counseling and mental-health referral services are being offered to Floridians affected by Hurricane Wilma through Project HOPE, funded by an immediate services grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The grant is administered through the Mental Health Program Office, which is part of Florida’s Department of Children and Families.
The Project HOPE Crisis Counseling Hotline is 1-866-518-1825. It is operational 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The service is available for residents of the following Florida counties designated for Individual Assistance Programs in Wilma’s wake: Broward, Collier, Indian River, Glades, Hendry, Lee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie.
The hotline number serves as a central point of access where callers can identify themselves as needing support and assistance in coping with the impact of the hurricane. Trained counselors answer hotline calls. They, in turn, can provide information and referral services for relief agencies and crisis counseling in the area where the caller resides. In many cases, teams of Project HOPE staff will then visit the caller to personally provide outreach, information, referrals, and direct crisis counseling.
In essence, Project HOPE (Helping Our People in Emergencies) will provide emotional and psychological support for people undergoing the recovery process following Hurricane Wilma; it also provides referrals to resources available within local communities. A fundamental part of Project HOPE operations is working in concert with local communities, community groups and voluntary organizations, which in turn expands the pool of resources available that crisis counselors can tap when responding to future disasters.
A major disaster such as a hurricane – and the process of coping with its aftermath – can bring about all sorts of emotions: depression, anger, frustration, withdrawal. Family relationships can be stressed; children often have difficulty adjusting after a disaster. Seeking help at the outset can reduce the risk of troubles down the road. And officials emphasize that there is a strong connection between mental health and physical well-being.
“We encourage disaster victims to speak openly and candidly to counselors, and help deter future health problems,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Justin DeMello.
“Unsolved problems caused by disasters can wear people down emotionally,” said State Coordinating Officer Craig Fugate of the State Emergency Response Team (SERT). “It is understandable if some residents are stressed or grieving and need to speak with someone confidentially.”
Approximately 300 Project HOPE personnel are on the ground in areas affected by Wilma. This number includes about 240 crisis counselors and 60 personnel serving in roles as project managers, community liaisons and team leaders. Project HOPE workers are a multicultural mix of professionals with backgrounds in mental health, psychology and social work, plus paraprofessionals with knowledge of local communities and local cultures.
Project HOPE staffers bring many vital abilities to the task of dealing with citizens coping with emotional difficulty after a hurricane. They are skillful listeners and help to validate victims’ experiences, emphasizing that emotional stress is a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. They can also help gauge whether an individual’s living situation might affect him or her emotionally or psychologically – and then, in turn, can offer referrals to further counseling services and organizations which might help improve such living conditions.
Project HOPE staffers also work closely with the many Disaster Recovery Centers established throughout the affected area. Crisis counselors will be available at the DRCs to talk face-to-face with citizens. Counselors will also canvass door-to-door to be sure that hard-to-reach residents will be aware of the emotional assistance being provided.
While helping hurricane victims work through their emotional and psychological recovery, Project HOPE strives to partner with and strengthen local communities. Not only does Project HOPE draw on local resources – provided by groups such as the United Way, Habitat for Humanity and other civic and voluntary organizations – when offering referrals to those in immediate need, but it also works to constantly build new bridges with such groups. That way, when the next disaster threatens the health and well-being of Florida residents, Project HOPE will be fully prepared to provide care.
The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) is a collaboration of Florida’s state agencies led by the state coordinating officer. SERT’s mission is to ensure that Florida is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them, and mitigate their impacts. Visit www.floridadisaster.org for the latest information on the hurricane relief efforts.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003. For more information visit www.fema.gov.
Last Modified: Friday, 18-Nov-2005 18:41:13