KINGSPORT — Frontier Health has been on the ground working with survivors and first responders to get them mental health resources while dealing with the remnants of Hurricane Helene. Kaylee Murphy, regional community development director for Frontier Health Foundation, said the organization is working alongside the Tennessee Strike Team and Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide immediate debriefings and mental health support. Debriefings offer impacted residents the opportunity to share and process recent events in a group setting.
She said certified, trained therapists have been at schools, churches and command centers providing support or whatever is needed in Unicoi, Carter, Washington and Johnson counties. One of the main focuses is making sure Frontier is not duplicating the efforts of other agencies providing similar services, Murphy mentioned. Murphy said the 988 call center in Johnson City has seen an uptick in calls, some of which are related to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.
In response to the natural disaster, Murphy said Frontier Health has implemented a streamlined referral process to ensure people get the care and medication necessary as quickly as possible. She said Frontier Health is working to get the community back into “somewhat of a routine,” especially when returning “back to normal” seems impossible. The organization recently partnered with Ballad Health to bring therapy dogs to impacted areas as a way to bright light and.
