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EAST PALESTINE - The healing process continues in East Palestine, as the first of what will now be weekly support groups for residents impacted by February's Norfolk Southern train derailment was held Monday. The community support group met at 6 p.m. in the Community Room of the East Palestine Library located at 309 N. Market St. The group will meet every Monday at the same time and place.
Today, the stress management group will meet at 6 p.m. at First United Presbyterian Church located at 109 Rebecca St. The stress management support group will also meet on the same day of the week, time and same location through June.
The meetings are the collaboration of the Columbiana County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and are meant to help meet the mental health needs of the community.
The Columbiana County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board has been on the frontlines in East Palestine since the disaster. Board member Sara Baer said last month that the organization has been helping people cope with worry and a wide range of emotions in the wake of the rail disaster.
When a disaster like this happens, it has a huge impact on mental health," she said. "People are anxious and they are worried about the uncertainty of it. They are worried about the impacts this may have on their physical health. They are worried about the water and what is safe and what is not. They are worried about their families. They are worried about who they can trust. It can be overwhelming."
The meetings are supported by a portion of the $209,402 Emergency Response Grant recently awarded to Ohio by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (OhioMHAS) and will help residents process stress and anxiety, develop healthy coping mechanisms, establish linkages to social supports, and rebuild community bonds. OhioMHAS has since been awarded nearly $2.9 million in federal funding from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to help state officials meet the behavioral health needs of citizens affected by traumatic events such as natural disasters, mass shootings, and other large-scale man-made and terrorist events.
"The recent train derailment in East Palestine is a prime example of how disasters can impact the well-being of individuals, families and communities," said Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. "It is essential that our behavioral health care system is able to quickly respond to the immediate and long-term behavioral health care needs of those adversely affected by trauma. These funds will accomplish just that by strengthening Ohio's emergency preparedness planning and ensuring a swift, coordinated response when surges in behavioral health needs inevitably occur."
All East Palestine support meetings are free and open to residents of East Palestine and surrounding communities. For information about either meeting, residents are encouraged to call 330-424-0195.