Community Wellness Team Established To Provide Mental Health And Emotional Wellness Support

Meeting the community’s mental health and spiritual and emotional wellness in response to the Thomas Fire and 1/9 Debris Flow is the goal of a newly-established Community Wellness Team. Led by the Santa Barbara County’s Department of Behavioral Wellness, a continuum of services is available to meet the unique needs of individuals impacted by the collective and individual trauma experienced in the region.

“The Community Wellness Team is a collaboration of 13 local agencies working together to support the wellness of our community,” said Suzanne Grimmesey, MFT, chief Quality Care and Strategy for Santa Barbara County Behavior Wellness. Symptoms of stress experienced in response to trauma may include anxiety, sadness, depression or confusion and may be noticed in sleep, concentration, work or relationships.

“People respond differently to trauma and may have different levels of need,” Grimmesey explained. “Within the Community Wellness Team continuum of care, a range of crisis services are available, including short and long-term counseling,” she noted.

A member of the Community Wellness Team, Cottage Health is offering an intensive outpatient program of groups designed to help individuals learn how to manage symptoms of anxiety, depression and trauma. Cottage Health support groups will be provided in English and Spanish and all are free. Orientations for the intensive outpatient program begin this week. More information is available at www.CottageHealth.org/HowWeHeal.

More information on the Community Wellness Team, including where to access services is available on ReadySBC.org under Health and Safety. A Community Wellness Team guide to mental health, spiritual and emotional wellness resources can be accessed through this site.