Marley Doyle, MD, director of the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska, photo courtesy UNMC
Wildfires have ravaged Nebraska in recent weeks, with the largest in the state’s history, the Morrill Fire, and three other major fires having burned more than 700,000 acres. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Nebraska Extension has launched a comprehensive disaster response – which now includes UNMC’s Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN) as part of its mental health support team.
BHECN was created by the Nebraska Legislature in 2009 and housed at UNMC. BHECN was charged with leading state behavioral health workforce development efforts including the recruitment, training and retention of behavioral health workers.
But BHECN was also ready to answer the call to serve Nebraskans in the wake of these devastating fires.
“Hearing firsthand how people have been affected, it’s heart-wrenching,” said Marley Doyle, MD, director of BHECN and associate professor of psychiatry at UNMC.
BHECN site co-directors – it has six regional sites throughout the state – are working within their communities in their local responses. And Dr. Doyle and BHECN are serving on Nebraska Extension’s Wildfire Task Force.
BHECN, with Nebraska Extension, has created a “Behavioral Health Resources after Natural Disasters” guide to help assist communities and providers. The guide includes free, accessible resources, including webinars and training.
“We need to get these resources out. You never want them to be too late,” Dr. Doyle said.
Because these resources are asynchronous, they can be used whenever they are needed. Even for the next disaster.
Dr. Doyle said recovery from devastating natural disasters usually comes in phases. In the immediate aftermath, people are in survival mode, one foot in front of the other. Then, there is a rallying phase. Often, a feel-good time of community coming together.
People are already rallying to support those affected, organizing a Sandhills Strong benefit dinner and a nonprofit effort to replant trees, to give just two examples.
But around month three or four, those affected by natural disasters are knocked down all over again, as the full extent of what has happened catches up with them, Dr. Doyle said.
And that’s when behavioral health support is really needed, Dr. Doyle said.
Dr. Doyle is not surprised that Nebraska – and Nebraska Extension – turned to BHECN as the community comes together.
“It speaks to the importance of relationships when you are doing this work,” she said. “It seems natural that we jumped on this task force.”
BHECN will be among expert entities from other fields, such as agriculture and finance, that will take part in meetings led by Nebraska Extension and federal agencies April 8, 9 and 10 in Arthur, Brady and Oshkosh, respectively.
