Sandhills_Sentinel

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Gov. Roy Cooper has announced that North Carolina will receive a federal grant of more than $12 million to expand crisis counseling services to Hurricane Florence survivors in 28 counties.

The Fayetteville Observer reports that the grant is from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Cooper’s office said in a news release on Friday that the grant will continue a counseling program called Hope 4 NC that began after Hurricane Matthew hit North Carolina in 2016.

The release says the program helps storm survivors obtain long-term counseling, housing support, and other social services.

Hurricane Florence struck in September. More than 40 people died in North Carolina from the storm.

The grant will provided direct support to North Carolinians in Beaufort, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Greene, Harnett, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Moore, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Pitt, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Wayne and Wilson counties. 

Those in need of assistance can call the Hope 4 NC Crisis Counseling Services Hotline at 1-855-587-3463 (FIND). Operators are available 24/7, to link survivors with crisis counseling staff who can visit in person or facilitate access to more intensive services as needed in their communities.

 For additional information about behavioral health after a hurricane, please visit https://www.ncdhhs.gov/assistance/hurricane-florence/behavioral-health-after-hurricane-florence.

Feature photo of Deep River, at Highway 22 in High Falls, during Hurricane Florence courtesy of Bobby Hancock.

This article was written with the help of The Associated Press.

Copyright 2019, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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