More than a year after Hurricane Helene devastated communities in
western North Carolina, health providers say the emotional and mental toll is
deepening.
Staff with Crossroads Treatment Center in Weaverville, just
north of Asheville, said demand for mental health and addiction support
services skyrocketed in the storm’s aftermath.
“There were neighborhood dogs unearthing toddlers. There
were bodies in trees,” said Hannah Clark, program director at Crossroads in
Weaverville. “The anniversary of Helene brought a lot of that back up for
people.”
Clark said the center saw many people seeking care who
weren’t previously established patients prior to the storms.
“We had a lot of people show up at our clinic when we were
operating without water and power because they needed help,” said Clark. “They
didn’t have a choice because they weren’t okay.”
Clark said Crossroads staff continued to show up despite
phone communication being disrupted, because she said everyone recognized the
growing need.
“There was a lot of loss, there’s still a lot missing, and
with that came a lot of trauma. We’ve lost family, friends, clients – a lot of
those people are still not found. We all experienced a lot of trauma following
Helene,” said Clark.
Crossroads is launching a new mobile unit in the coming
months to better serve patients beyond Buncombe County.
Clark said the immediate goal is to reach people in Yancey
and Mitchell counties who didn’t have as much access to support services in the
early aftermath of Helene.
“There are so many people in Yancy and Mitchell counties that
haven’t begun that journey. As we go into the holidays, they’re missing those
loved ones,” said Clark. “We also had a hurricane threat right at the
anniversary, so that was re-traumatizing for a lot of people. “
The mobile unit is expected to reduce transportation
barriers, while creating a safe space for multiple generations to heal from
addiction and mental health challenges.
“Our local area is Appalachia, and that is a culture
in and of itself. Appalachia people don’t just trust anybody. When one person from a
holler or a family steps into recovery and they say, ‘These are good people and
they’re going to help us,’ it allows others to trust that,” Clark explained.
She continued, “It’s really difficult to be a human. It
really stinks to be an adult sometimes. A lot of us have experienced some
trauma, and whatever we’re using is just helping us get through the day. We’re
just there to show healthy ways to do that and be okay.”
Clark said Crossroads currently helps patients from ‘three
generations’ of families. She said effective addiction and mental health
treatments can not follow a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.
“If we can start to see grandma getting okay, then we reduce
mom not being okay, and then the kids,” Clark shared. “I hope to do that in
Yancey and Mitchell counties to reduce that generational addiction and mental
health and provide a space where people feel safe to say, ‘I’m not okay.’”
Crossroads data from 2024 found retention
rates companywide were twice the national average.
“I think it’s really important that as a whole — a nation, a
state, a county — that we start to recognize how difficult it is to be human and
adult and reduce the stigma associated with mental health and addiction,” said
Clark. “At the end of the day we’re all just trying to get through it.”
NCDHHS reports more than 31,600 people were enrolled
in opioid treatment centers in North Carolina in 2024. The number of people
enrolled statewide has increased 25% since 2019.
Crossroads staff tell WRAL it has been difficult to find a
host site for their new mobile unit, citing stigma.
Anyone who wants to help the mobile unit by providing a host
location can reach the team at hclark@ctc.care
or by calling 864-360-8966.
