The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved an Immediate Services Program (ISP) grant for $499,994 to the Missouri Department of Mental Health (DMH) for crisis counseling services for survivors of the recent flooding and severe storms.
The grant will fund community-based outreach and psycho-educational services to help build resiliency among disaster survivors. This will allow DMH to continue outreach services through six participating Community Mental Health Centers.
Survivors can go online to Missouri DMH at http://dmh.mo.gov/disaster/flood.html. There is a link that provides the phone number of the Distress Helpline in each county.
Crisis counseling is available for those who live and work in disaster-designated counties. Those who need help may call the National Disaster Distress Helpline at 800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs” to 66746. Operators are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Helpline can provide immediate crisis counseling to anyone who needs assistance dealing with the aftermath of a traumatic incident. This is a free, confidential and multilingual crisis support service. Callers and texters are connected to trained and caring professionals from crisis counseling centers in the network. The Helpline staff provides confidential counseling, referrals, and other needed support services.
A number of fact sheets on Coping with Disaster, including many for use by those with children, are available on the DMH website.
Survivors also may access information about health and human services by calling United Way 211.
Callers may be referred to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. The Lifeline provides 24/7 free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for anyone who needs it.
The federal disaster declaration covers eligible losses caused by severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding between April 28 and May 11, 2017 in these 27 counties: Bollinger, Butler, Carter, Douglas, Dunklin, Franklin, Gasconade, Howell, Jasper, Jefferson, Madison, Maries, McDonald, Newton, Oregon, Osage, Ozark, Pemiscot, Phelps, Pulaski, Reynolds, Ripley, Shannon, St. Louis, Stone, Taney, and Texas.
July 10, 2017
DR-4317-MO
FS-10