SANIBEL ISLAND, Fla. — An oasis in a disaster zone is how the organizer for the first State-Sponsored Mental health and wellness mobile unit described the care her team is providing – treating trauma in the heart of Sanibel.
“I’m glad I’m here too,” said Andy Boyle, a long-time Sanibel Island resident. “When people come to the island, you know, pictures just don’t do it justice.”
Boyle had to be rescued by helicopter from his condominium after Hurricane Ian. He watched his neighbor’s condos flood in the storm surge. Weeks after the storm, he came back to help clean.
“All the bottom units just totally gone, just gone,” he told NBC2.
However, he’s wearing a smile after getting care from people like Amie Leigh, the clinical director with Capacity Path who operates with the State Emergency Response Team – or SERT.
“What we needed to do was make sure that crash doesn’t happen. Get underneath, do a little stealth mental health,” said Leigh.
Her team is part of the first Florida-sponsored mental health and wellness unit with SERT.
“It still feels like an expanding incident as far as mental health goes,” she said. “Right, there’s more surprises, more bad news, more struggles with the insurance. And as that pain wells up, we’re here too.”
Located outside Jerry’s Supermarket on Sanibel Island, the team of twenty, mostly SWFL local, mental, and medical health professionals, they’ve helped residents and response workers in more than 1500 sessions in less than two weeks with different types of trauma therapy and crisis stabilization techniques.
“We’re doing kind of talk coaching. We use psychological first aid methods, mental health first aid methods, ways to talk people through things,” said Leigh.
For those who come to the SERT Mental Health and Wellness Unit tents, treatment involves more than just talking with a counselor. These therapists are meeting people where they’re at in their own recovery after Ian, supporting them in their trauma.
“We have relaxation specialists for people who may have a hard time sleeping or settling their thoughts,” said Leigh.
“It’s special for me, and it’s also healing for me as someone who went through this storm as well,” said Sarah Warren, a Fort Myers native and registered nurse peer support counselor.
“I have, in a sense, offered a hug to a resident, and they are already melting in my arms because that is what they needed in that moment,” said Warren.
Leigh’s teams are expanding into Fort Myers Beach at the Beach Baptist Church, also used as a FEMA and support site for residents. Team members also go into communities like Pine Island, looking for people needing support.
Their team’s goal is to reach the hardest-hit places of Southwest Florida.
“We know this is Florida. We know everyone is resilient and strong, this is not our first disaster; it’s traumatic, it’s tragic, and we can help people tap into that innate resilience and access who they already are,” said Leigh.
“You know it’s times like this that it’s very much appreciated,” said Andy Boyle.
Service is free. The SERT Mental Health and Wellness unit will remain in SWFL until November 27.
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