Mental health services extended to emergency responders

Sept. 10--Mayor Percy Bland has asked Weems Community Mental Health Center to extend its services to firefighters and other emergency personnel affected by Friday morning's accident that took the life of Firefighter Eric Gustafson and seriously injured two of his colleagues.

"Mayor Bland contacted Weems this morning and requested our assistance following the accident. We dispatched our therapists who were available to provide support," Amy Sample, the director of Crisis Services, said in an email.

After the intial contact, the center goes into a Critical Incident Stress Management mode and sends out counselors who have been trained specifically for immediate crisis management, according to Amy Bishop.

"The goal of crisis intervention is to stablize, reduce symptoms and return to an adaptive level of function," said Bishop, director of adult services. "To normalize what they're going through and return to a previous way of functioning."

Bishop stressed the temporary nature of crisis services.

"It's more of an intervention to deal with the immediate crisis," Bishop said. "If there is a need for any long-term intervention we give information to follow up."

Weems offers both group and one-on-one interventions to emergency responders as well as other people directly affected by the crisis, according to an email from Sample.

"The goal is to help prevent long-term effects and post-traumatic stress disorder," Bishop said.

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