Rabbi Niles Goldstein of Congregation Beth Shalom was a first-responder chaplain in New York City after 9/11. The stresses he's seen in Napa over the past two weeks from rampaging wildfires echo those he saw back then.
You're seeing people walking around in face masks ... seeing people who are trying to rebuild their lives, he said. Instead of a one-time event, though, the fires have lingered, he said.
Here, I feel much more anxiety as we try to find some sort of new normal in light of what just happened, Goldstein said.
You can't stay still, you can't go back, he said. In times like this, he said, it's important for the community to stick together and help one another.
There are a lot of people out there who want to offer support, he said. Be humble enough to accept that.
Recognizing the anxieties facing people who have been evacuated or have lost their homes, Napa County Health and Human Services Agency has been providing mental health services to evacuees in shelters and now the Local Assistance Center (LAC) at the county's South Napa Campus.
Offering this right away when people need it is important, said Bill Carter, mental health director at Napa County Health and Human Services Agency.
Read more written by Maria Sestito Trauma and Recovery: dealing with the psychological impacts of Napa wildfires
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