By Stephanie A. John, MS, LMFT
The September floods were hard on a lot of people across the Front Range, including in Adams County. As recovery continues, some Coloradans may find themselves experiencing a host of feelings, such as grief and loss, isolation, and depression. Because such trauma can impact people’s mental health, Community Reach Center wants to extend a helping hand to those affected by the recent flooding who may need some emotional support.
Accordingly, Community Reach Center recently joined other mental-health providers and the state Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response to offer a Crisis Counseling Program known as the 2013-2014 Colorado Spirit Flood Recovery Program to Coloradans affected by the recent floods.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) implements the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP) as a supplemental assistance program to fund mental health assistance and training activities in presidentially declared major disaster areas.
As a member of the Colorado Spirit CCP team, Community Reach Center will provide outreach, education, resource coordination and various aspects of crisis counseling for those Adams County individuals who have been impacted by the flood. Please visit communityreachcenter.org or call (303) 853-3500 to learn more and request supports from Community Reach Center’s Colorado Spirit crisis counselors.
Sometimes, feelings such as anger, grief and loss don’t surface in the days or weeks following a disaster as people attend to their immediate needs. Our Colorado Spirit crisis counselors are available – and will be in flood-affected communities — to help if and when such feelings do emerge. Look for our specially trained crisis counselors – wearing blue shirts that read “Colorado Spirit” — in flood-affected communities.
Community Reach Center’s Colorado Spirit crisis counselors are available for free “Check up from the neck up” walk-in visits at our outpatient office at 4371 E. 72nd Ave., Commerce City, 80022, 10:00 a.m. through 7:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, Nov. 4 through Nov. 8. If the floods have left you with feelings you can’t seem to shake, please stop by our Commerce City location for a brief, confidential assessment. There’s no paperwork to fill out, no insurance required; just stop by.
Additionally, Community Reach Center’s Colorado Spirit crisis counselors will be at the 9Health Fair in Commerce City this weekend. The 9Health Fair runs 7:00 a.m. until noon, Saturday, Nov. 2, and Sunday, Nov. 3, at Adams City High School, 7200 Quebec Parkway, Commerce City, 80022.
Community Reach Center Colorado Spirit crisis counselors have been asked to advise flood-affected residents to please sign up for FEMA aid. For any questions or help with FEMA registration, please refer to the information below. I have listed the contact numbers for the other mental-health providers who are providing these same CCP services in other regions of the state.
FEMA Tele-Registration & Helpline
800-621-FEMA (3362) or
disasterassistance.gov
Crisis Counseling Program (CCP) Service Providers’ Referral Numbers (by county):
Adams – Community Reach Center: (303) 853-3500
Arapahoe – Aurora Mental Health Center: (303) 617-2400
Boulder – Mental Health Partners: (720) 415-9740
El Paso – Aspen Pointe: (719) 572-6100
Jefferson/Clear Creek – Jefferson Center for Mental Health: (303) 425-0300
Larimer – Touchstone Health Partners: (970) 494-4245
Logan – Centennial Mental Health Center: (970) 522-4392
Weld – North Range Behavioral Health: (970) 347-2398
Stephanie A. John, MS, LMFT, is a clinical director at Community Reach Center, a non-profit mental-health provider with five outpatient offices in Adams County. For more information, visit CommunityReachCenter.org.