HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The impact of natural disasters on the psychological well-being of individuals and communities can be significant. According to a news release issued by the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center, the agency is in the process of initiating its Manggaige Ham, or “We Are Here,” crisis counseling program.
Crisis counseling is a specific approach aimed at addressing the challenging period of adjustment that certain individuals affected by a tragedy may have, spanning from the immediate aftermath of the event to the ongoing process of recovery, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s official website.
Behavioral Health received grant funding of $203,738 for the Crisis Counseling’s Immediate Services Program by FEMA and the Center for Mental Health Services under the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. According to Behavioral Health, the funding is intended to support individuals affected by Typhoon Mawar who need counseling services.
The fund’s accessibility is facilitated through the enactment of Section 416 within the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, which was officially implemented in 1988. The Stafford Act is responsible for establishing the current framework when a presidentially declared disaster prompts the provision of financial and physical aid, assigning the duty of coordinating relief operations throughout the entirety of the government to the agency, according to FEMA.
Under Behavioral Health’s Manggaige Ham program, crisis counselors will engage in direct, face-to-face engagement with the communities on the island that have been most impacted, with the aim of evaluating their ongoing needs and providing suitable recommendations for necessary services.
Services such as: brief educational or supportive contact; individual and group counseling; public education; assessment; referral and resource linkages; community network and support; distribution of educational materials; as well as media and public service announcements will be proposed to the community, the release stated.
The Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center on March 27, 2023, in Tamuning.
