![The program will offer counseling and also connect Lorain County residents to resources. [fizkes / Shutterstock]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bf634ba/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1687+0+0/resize/840x472!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F2%2F09%2FLorain%20county%20covid%20care%20team.jpg)
Lorain County is providing crisis counselors for every resident to help them deal with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Mental Health, Addiction, and Recovery Services Board of Lorain County is one of the partners in the program, but the group’s Interim Executive Director Elaine Georgas said the resources are more than mental health.
“They worked with one individual who was having a hard time filing their unemployment, so they helped them navigate to get their unemployment,” Georgas said.
She gave another example of a person who needed food and was connected to a local food bank. People also need mental health services after losing loved ones during the pandemic or going through financial issues.
To connect, call 440-240-7025 or 440-322-6308 and ask for a COVID Care Counselor. Visit mharslc.org/covidcare to learn more.
The funding for the program comes from a $392,000 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant that Georgas said will last until June.
Georgas compared the grant to when FEMA comes out to an area after a natural disaster.
“They would come out and wonder how the housing situation was,” she said. “This is about the physical and emotional health impacts because of COVID.”
She said the funding pays for at least six crisis counselors, and they were also given technology to reach people virtually and personal protective equipment for when they need to meet with people face-to-face.
The Elyria YWCA and El Centro are also partners in the COVID Care Team. Spanish-speaking counselors are available to those who need it.
The program is open to anyone in Lorain County, Georgas said.
