Need for mental health services spikes following devastation of Mountain Fire

CAMARILLO, Calif.—It’s been an emotional day for Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios, who Is helping victims of the Mountain Fire navigate the process of rebuilding at the Local Assistance Center.

“You've— you've seen people break down. They're crying. They're not under, you know, understanding why it happened to them, how it happened,” said the Ventura resident who also works for the County of Ventura.

Thursday was opening day for the Local Assistance Center— a one stop shop for all fire recovery resources— from the Red Cross and public health to therapy dogs and behavioral health.

“Today we've had more than 50 people come through. And it's just amazing to know that we've been able to change it, if just a little bit we've been able to change somebody's life for the positive,” said Palacios.

“ A lot of people right now are trying to process the experience that they've just had, understand the loss that they've that they've seen, and sort of figure out the place where they need to start. So we have mental health services that are on site that help people understand, you know, sort of the support that they need and the steps that they should take in order to be supported just as they're trying to understand and and process recovery,” said County of Ventura Spokesperson Natalie Hernandez.

Locals aren’t just dealing with physical loss, but also disaster related anxiety, PTSD, and depression.

“ It's a little bit difficult for everybody. So the dogs just kind of bring comfort and encouragement to that because everybody smiles when they see the dogs. It just kind of releases that tension and just makes them feel better for a little while. They might pet the dogs for 5 minutes, but they'll they'll feel the lasting effect of that smile on their face and having a little normalcy in their life for maybe much longer, like a couple of hours,” said Hope Animal Assisted Crisis Response Volunteer Lawana Heald.

First responders and volunteers are also carrying a heavy burden. 

“We're human beings, too. We have feelings, too. We have families,” said Ventura County Fire Spokesman Tony McHale.

Tony McHale has been in the line of fire for over 30 years, but experience doesn’t make it any easier for him to cope with some harsh realities.

“As I've gotten older, I've gotten a little more a little more emotional. You know, I'm not desensitized to some of these things. And so, you know, taking care of each other, you know, peer support, really talking about these things and dealing with some of the traumas that we see and contend with. You know, it's important to have the resources available to to work through that,” said McHale.

Camarillo’s Local Assistance Center is open Monday through Saturday from 10 am until 7 pm.