More than a year after Hurricane Helene devastated communities in
\nwestern North Carolina, health providers say the emotional and mental toll is
\ndeepening. <\/p>\n
Staff with Crossroads Treatment Center in Weaverville, just
\nnorth of Asheville, said demand for mental health and addiction support
\nservices skyrocketed in the storm\u2019s aftermath. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere were neighborhood dogs unearthing toddlers. There
\nwere bodies in trees,\u201d said Hannah Clark, program director at Crossroads in
\nWeaverville. \u201cThe anniversary of Helene brought a lot of that back up for
\npeople.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clark said the center saw many people seeking care who
\nweren\u2019t previously established patients prior to the storms. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a lot of people show up at our clinic when we were
\noperating without water and power because they needed help,\u201d said Clark. \u201cThey
\ndidn\u2019t have a choice because they weren\u2019t okay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clark said Crossroads staff continued to show up despite
\nphone communication being disrupted, because she said everyone recognized the
\ngrowing need. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a lot of loss, there\u2019s still a lot missing, and
\nwith that came a lot of trauma. We\u2019ve lost family, friends, clients \u2013 a lot of
\nthose people are still not found. We all experienced a lot of trauma following
\nHelene,\u201d said Clark. <\/p>\n
Crossroads is launching a new mobile unit in the coming
\nmonths to better serve patients beyond Buncombe County. <\/p>\n
Clark said the immediate goal is to reach people in Yancey
\nand Mitchell counties who didn\u2019t have as much access to support services in the
\nearly aftermath of Helene. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere are so many people in Yancy and Mitchell counties that
\nhaven\u2019t begun that journey. As we go into the holidays, they\u2019re missing those
\nloved ones,\u201d said Clark. \u201cWe also had a hurricane threat right at the
\nanniversary, so that was re-traumatizing for a lot of people. \u201c<\/p>\n
The mobile unit is expected to reduce transportation
\nbarriers, while creating a safe space for multiple generations to heal from
\naddiction and mental health challenges. <\/p>\n
\u201cOur local area is Appalachia, and that is a culture
\nin and of itself. Appalachia people don\u2019t just trust anybody. When one person from a
\nholler or a family steps into recovery and they say, \u2018These are good people and
\nthey\u2019re going to help us,\u2019 it allows others to trust that,\u201d Clark explained.<\/p>\n
She continued, \u201cIt\u2019s really difficult to be a human. It
\nreally stinks to be an adult sometimes. A lot of us have experienced some
\ntrauma, and whatever we\u2019re using is just helping us get through the day. We\u2019re
\njust there to show healthy ways to do that and be okay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clark said Crossroads currently helps patients from \u2018three
\ngenerations\u2019 of families. She said effective addiction and mental health
\ntreatments can not follow a \u2018one-size-fits-all\u2019 approach.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we can start to see grandma getting okay, then we reduce
\nmom not being okay, and then the kids,\u201d Clark shared. \u201cI hope to do that in
\nYancey and Mitchell counties to reduce that generational addiction and mental
\nhealth and provide a space where people feel safe to say, \u2018I\u2019m not okay.’\u201d<\/p>\n
Crossroads data from 2024 found retention \u201cI think it\u2019s really important that as a whole — a nation, a NCDHHS reports more than 31,600 people were enrolled Crossroads staff tell WRAL it has been difficult to find a
\nrates companywide<\/a> were twice the national average.<\/p>\n
\nstate, a county — that we start to recognize how difficult it is to be human and
\nadult and reduce the stigma associated with mental health and addiction,\u201d said
\nClark. \u201cAt the end of the day we\u2019re all just trying to get through it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nin opioid treatment centers<\/a> in North Carolina in 2024. The number of people
\nenrolled statewide has increased 25% since 2019.<\/p>\n
\nhost site for their new mobile unit, citing stigma. <\/p>\n