As wildfires spread across western Nebraska, burning over 800,000 acres of land, Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services and local partners are reminding Nebraskans that mental health resources are available.
“I would say as these events kind of progress and as people kind of return to their normal lives, the things folks should really look out for is just what their emotional reaction is that seems almost out of the norm,” said Dr. Thomas Janousek, director of the Division of Behavioral Health.
He said three months, six months or even a year later, Nebraskans could start having reactions to what they experienced due to the fires.
“‘Hey, we always have this tradition around this time of the year, and we can’t do that because that place is no longer here,’ and that brings up feelings of sadness or loss,” Janousek said. “It is okay to have those feelings. It is okay if it feels out of the norm, and it’s okay to go ask for help if you are going through that.”
Janousek said he’s noticed a high amount of community support available as the fires continue. Even if it isn’t working with a clinical professional, he said he’s seen communities coming together to have community chats or calls to process as a group.
“We have a lot of hidden gems in our communities, whether it’s individual practitioners, community members, churches, any kind of organization that’s really coming together to make sure people are getting the resources that they need,” he said.
One of those organizations is Region 1 Behavioral Authority, a subdivision of the State of Nebraska, responsible for the supervising mental health and substance abuse services in Nebraska’s Panhandle.
Holly Brandt, the regional administrator for Region 1 Behavioral Authority, oversees the following counties: Sheridan, Dawes, Sioux, Box Butte, Morrill, Scotts Bluff, Banner, Cheyenne, Deuel, Garden, and Kimball.
She’s currently working with local community partners to provide Nebraskans with the mental health care they need.
“We’re trying to think of ideas that people feel comfortable coming to,” Brandt said. “And I think we’re going to focus on being present at events that are already going on within the community that will draw people from the community to them. So we’re really working with people within the community to see what the community needs and what they think will be the best attended events.”
Brandt wants to remind Nebraskans that what they are feeling is normal. That’s why she said community events are important as Nebraska continues to move forward.
“Just having someone to talk to can really help people during this time of crisis,” Brandt said. “And maybe they just need to know that what they’re feeling is perfectly normal, and that’s something that, you know, seeking mental health care can do.”
Brandt reiterated a point made by Janousek: emotions might set in months later.
“Once you kind of get out of that crisis mode, that’s when you’re really going to start to feel the feelings, the grief, the anxiety. And there’s nothing wrong with reaching out and talking to someone about it,” Brandt said.