Hope4NC Crisis Counseling

The Hope4NC Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP) is now available for individuals affected by COVID-19 in the nine counties that comprise the Sandhills Center catchment area of Anson, Guilford, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph and Richmond. The counseling program became available as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and is available statewide. For assistance, residents may call the toll-free hotline at 1-855-587-3463.

WHAT SERVICES ARE FUNDED BY THE HOPE4NC CCP?

• Individual Crisis Counseling - Helps survivors understand their reactions, improve coping strategies, review their options, and connect with other individuals and agencies that may assist them.
• Basic Supportive/Educational Contact - General support and information on resources and services available to disaster survivors.
• Group Crisis Counseling - Group sessions led by trained crisis counselors who offer skills to help group members cope with their situations and reactions.
• Public Education - Information and education about typical reactions, helpful coping strategies and available disaster-related resources.
• Community Networking/Support - Relationship-building with community resource organizations, faith-based groups and local agencies.
• Assessment, Referral and Resource Linkage - Adult and child needs assessment and referral to additional disaster relief services or mental health or substance use disorder treatment.
• Development and Distribution of Educational Materials - Brochures, tip sheets, educational materials and website information developed and distributed by CCP staff.
• Media/Public Service Announcements - Media activities and public messaging in partnership with local media outlets, state and local governments, charitable organizations or other community brokers of information.

COVID STRESS RESPONSES

• Feeling alone.
• Irritable or feeling out of sorts.
• Head, stomach, or body aches.
• Difficulty concentrating, forgetful.
• Fear for your own health.
• Worried about the health of your family or friends.
• Increased use of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs.
• Feeling stuck, no time for self care.
• Looking for ideas to stay calm and healthy.

KEY PRINCIPLES OF THE CCP

The CCP is:

• Stengths-based - CCP services promote resilience, empowerment and recovery.
• Anonymous - Crisis counselors do not classify, label or diagnose people. No records or case files are kept.
• Outreach-oriented - Crisis counselors deliver services in the communities, rather than wait for survivors to seek their assistance.
• Conducted in nontraditional settings - Crisis counselors make contact in homes and communities, not in clinical or office settings.
• Designed to strengthen existing community-support systems - The CCP supplements, but does not supplant or replace, existing community systems.

WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF THE CCP?

The CCP strives to:

• Reach large numbers of people who are affected by disasters through face-to-face outreach to shelters, homes and other locations.
• Assess the emotional needs of survivors and make referrals to traditional behavioral health services when necessary.
• Identify tangible needs and link survivors to community resources and disaster relief services.
• Provide emotional support, education, basic crisis counseling and connection to familial and community support systems.
• Train community partners about disaster reactions, appropriate interventions and CCP services.

WHAT IS THE MISSION OF THE CCP?

The mission of the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program is to help individuals and communities as they recover from natural and human-caused disasters through the provision of community-based outreach and psychoeducational actvites. The CCP is composed of two grant programs:

• Immediate Services Program (ISP) - 60 days in duration.
• Regular Services Program (RSP) - Nine months in duration.

The CCP is: 

• Culturally competent, understanding, respectful and sensitive to the cultural makeup of communities served.
• Authorized under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act).
• Funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
• Required by a Presidential declaration of disaster for Individual Assistance for short-term behavioral health support when disaster response needs are beyond the state's capacity.
• Administered through an interagency Federal partnership between FEMA and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services.
• Developing partnerships with local disaster agencies and other organizations.
• Working with local stakeholders to promote community resilience and recovery.
• Collecting and evaluating data to ensure quality services and justify program efforts.
• Leaving behind a permanent legacy of improved coping skills, educational and resource materials and enhanced community linkages.

WHO CAN PROVIDE CCP SERVICES?

• States, U.S. Territories and federally-recognized tribes are eligible to apply for a CCP grant.
• Services are typically provided to the affected areas by behavioral health organizations through contracts with a state's department of mental health.
• A combination of mental health professionals and paraprofessionals who are trained and supervised to deliver an array of crisis counseling services.
• CCP staff are usually indigenous to the affected communities and are sometimes survivors themselves.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL TOLL-FREE: 1-855-587-3463.