Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018 | 2 a.m.
Nevada placed last in the nonprofit organization Mental Health America’s 2017 annual rankings, indicating a high prevalence of mental illness and difficulties accessing care. In Nevada, 67.5 percent of adults with mental illness go untreated, according to the same report—the highest in the nation.
Vegas Strong Resiliency Center
The Vegas Strong Resiliency Center provides referral and on-site services for those affected by October 1, including victim advocacy, case management, counseling, spiritual care referrals and more. The center’s hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lied Building, 2nd Floor, 1524 Pinto Lane. For more information, visit vegasstrongrc.org or call 702-455-AIDE (2433) or 833-299-AIDE (2433).
Despite the state’s long-standing struggle with services, within hours of the October 1 shooting, counselors and mental health providers were volunteering time and services, many without organized direction or guidance.
“We immediately deployed five therapists at the request of MGM,” said Angela Quinn, CEO of First Med. “Within three working days, we had about 20 therapists running 24/7 schedules to see victims.”
During the first 90 days after the incident, First Med counseled nearly 500 individuals. It’s now seeing 120 people and anticipates an increase in the 90 days after the anniversary.
Other resources, such as the Vegas Strong Resiliency Center, which was formed as a result of the shooting, solidified year-round counseling services for those who were affected by October 1.
Jody Marshall, a licensed clinical counselor of Community Counseling Center of Southern Nevada, which partners with the Resiliency Center,said that since the shooting, the city recognized a need for more counseling resources.
“Anytime a need is identified, there are going to be resources that are put to fulfilling that need. [Oct. 1] shined a spotlight on a need,” Marshall said. “More people became aware and trained in trauma, getting some of the tools and resources to deal with these issues efficiently.”
Government officials at all levels have also stepped in.
“There have been consultants at the federal level that have worked with the county and state, as well as the resiliency center, regarding best practices and things we can do to increase capacity and the clinical training needed,” said Terri Keener, the behavioral health coordinator at the Vegas Strong Resiliency Center.Keener said that in a year, the resiliency center plans to roll out the recommendations they receive from those consultants.
“We know that when there is mass disaster or violence, behavioral health is a really important piece and recovery is long-term,” Keener said. “The services we do have really stepped up and played a major role in providing and increasing capacity as much as possible, but it’s also recognized that there is still a lot to do in that area.”
This story originally appeared in the Las Vegas Weekly.
