While Jasperites are focused on rebuilding their lives following the wildfire, the demand for mental health services is expected to grow as time goes on.
Recovery Alberta, which was recently established to provide recovery-oriented mental health and addiction services, has had a presence in the community since re-entry began.
“We have been supporting fire responses for some time now, and typically what we find is that, initially, there isn't too much need for therapy per se,” said Lois Ryan-Ottley, director of rural services with Recovery Alberta Mental Health and Addiction in the north zone.
“People recognize that they will need it, but in the immediate there isn't much need for that.”
Recovery Alberta staff had been present during the bus tours that allowed evacuees to see their devastated community prior to re-entry.
“The feedback we got from community members was that that was very helpful to have someone on the bus who could help them process what they were seeing,” Ryan-Ottley said. “But really, most of the processing was happening amongst neighbours, residents coming together and just crying and expressing their thoughts and feelings. So, our staff was there to help in that process.”
She noted that Jasper would be able to recover in a strong way because of this small-town community bond.
The Re-Entry Support Centre also has mental health information, but Ryan-Ottley noted they had seen a significant decline in people visiting them as residents began focusing on cleaning their house and preparing their children for back to school.
So far, the biggest uptake in their services has been providing support to residents while Team Rubicon sifts through the remains of their home and potentially recovers items of personal value.
“They find that it’s helpful to have our staff there just to talk with and share their emotions,” Ryan-Ottley said.
As the months go by, Recovery Alberta expects to see more individuals with mental issues including anxiety, PTSD and depression.
Ryan-Ottley emphasized it is normal for returning residents to feel shocked and distressed.
“It is perfectly normal to feel the grief of either losing your home, your neighbor or friend losing theirs, the devastation that you see in your community, that you've loved all of these years,” she said. “That is all perfectly normal, and we want to encourage people to talk about it, share with their family and friends and just continue that dialog.”
Many will rely on family and friends to process grief, but for some, those supports either might not be available or insufficient.
It may be more difficult for those who have been away from the community longer because of the housing situation. That disconnection can add to anxiety, grief and distress while also causing fatigue and sleeping problems.
“They can have emotional outbursts and distress when it’s prolonged and when they see that this is going on, we really want to encourage them to reach out to meet with someone from mental health and addiction, talk it through, work through it,” Ryan-Ottley said. “Some folks may even need some medication to help them over the hump.”
Ryan-Ottley added that she was impressed with the municipality’s eagerness and responsiveness to residents, noting how initiatives such as community dinners will build community and resilience as well as help everyone come through this trauma stronger.
“What we look forward to is post-traumatic growth where even after this most terrible situation, people will come out even stronger, and Jasper will just continue to grow and strengthen,” she said.
“So, that's what we're all looking forward to, and we're willing to participate and help in that service, and we're excited about what can come of even this tragic situation.”
Those seeking in-person supports can visit the Re-Entry Support Centre in the Seniors Centre at the Activity Centre from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week.
The Seton-Jasper Healthcare Centre has a mental health and addiction community clinic open from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call 780-852-6616 for more information.
Mental health and addiction staff are also available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the emergency department. If in crisis, help is available at the emergency department or by calling 911.
More contacts and information are available at ab.211.ca or the Municipality of Jasper’s mental health resources page.
