Tennessee Recovery Project Crisis Counselors Wesley Luffman and Lindsi Luffman, Public Relations Specialist Laura Mountain, and Coordinator Deloris Kinnaird.TENNESSEE RECOVERY PROJECTThe project provides assistance for tornado victims of Bradley, Hamilton, Monroe, McMinn, Rhea and Bledsoe counties in Tennessee.Appointment/information: 1-877-567-6051Crisis/information: 1-800-704-2651Website: www.TennesseeRecoveryProject.usFacebook: Tennessee Recovery Project
CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The April 27 tornadoes not only caused widespread destruction, they left plenty of emotional scars on their victims, according to Long Term Recovery Organization officials.
“One of the unmet needs we are recognizing that we can’t necessarily answer in this meeting is the trauma-related issues some of these people have experienced, but we do have resources,” said Matt Ryerson, chairman of the organization’s unmet needs committee, to about two dozen representatives of Cleveland’s church and community groups on Wednesday.
Representatives of the Tennessee Recovery Project, a crisis counseling service funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, addressed the support groups about how they could facilitate the healing process for families still struggling emotionally after the storms.
“Our goal is to meet their unmet mental health care needs, whether that is through a referral to a mental health organization or a psychiatrist,” said Wesley Luffman, a crisis counselor.