Sandy victims still seek counseling

The storm made landfall in New Jersey two years ago, but Sandy victims are still displaying a strong need for mental health assistance.

Feelings of anxiety and loss are plaguing impacted families as many traverse through the process of receiving grants and rebuilding their lives.

The Sandy Support and Counseling Project, within Preferred Behavioral Health of New Jersey, cited a 25 percent increase in outreach calls over the past few months. Primary therapist Phyllis Alongi pointed to a spike in substance abuse services and psychiatric services.

"It's ongoing. It's not going away," she said.

The project, made possible by the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund, is dealing with new intake appointments each week, while handling the same people they've seen since right after the storm hit, free of charge.

"Trauma is a process, and the healing is a process," Alongi said. "It's something that takes time."

Renee Burawski, director of the Office for Sandy Recovery with the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, said help for storm-affected residents is readily available at the local, county and state levels.

In the weeks immediately following the storm, New Jersey Hope and Healing made more than 500,000 connections between survivors and outlets of support. A helpline, staffed with behavioral health specialists, is still available (1-866-202-HELP).

"The damage really goes well beyond bricks-and-mortar," Burawski said. "There are emotional consequences to recovering."

A poll released Monday by Monmouth University, which surveyed hundreds of the hardest-hit storm victims, found one in five experiencing significant psychological stress.