JFS Boulder has received a $250,000 recovery grant from the Red Cross to expand access to longer-term mental health services for those impacted by the Marshall Fire and Straight-Line Wind Event, as well as individuals who have secondary trauma attributed to their roles as first responders, teachers, and disaster recovery staff.

JFS Boulder is currently administering the Boulder County Crisis Counseling county-wide mental health program. This program utilizes a panel of private practice providers but limits the number of sessions to 10. Since January 1, 2022, more than 700 individuals or households have registered for this program, with an average of 60 new registrations monthly. Many households and therapists participating in the program have reported a need for more than 10 sessions to adequately support families impacted by the trauma of the Marshall Fire and Straight-Line Wind Events, and this grant will be used to help these individuals.

JFS headquarters, based in Denver, has a robust Mental Health department with 35 therapists who are paneled with most major private insurance companies and Medicaid. The funding from the Red Cross will allow JFS Boulder to build upon this infrastructure and hire full-time therapists to provide high-quality mental health services without limiting the number of sessions. JFS Boulder will accept most major insurance, grant funding will cover individuals that are uninsured or undocumented. Over the course of the grant, JFS estimates they will serve 600 individuals.

Mental health issues following a disaster can include acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, intense grief, sleep disturbances, panic, anger, and many others. Struggles, in turn, can lead to increases in divorce, suicidality/suicide, issues at school and work, long-term mental health issues, and family disruptions.

To learn more about JFS Boulder mental health services, including services for Marshall Fire and Straight-Line households, and the Boulder County Crisis Counseling program, visit jewishfamilyservice.org/bccc. JFS will be accepting new clients in the coming weeks. Information on how to access services will be found on their website. The agency will also conduct outreach to impacted households about the expanded mental health services when the program is staffed and operational.