Changes Behavioral Health in Wynne has partnered with the Wynne School District to provide mental health services to students and staff affected by the March 2023 tornado.
The school district recently received a 12-month federal SERV grant and will be working with Changes to address those needs.
Amber Powell, clinical director for Changes, said mental health care providers have seen an increase in PTSD symptoms since last year’s tornado.
“Anxiety and depression, especially for the ones who experienced it first-hand and the depression, if people lost things, trying to recover,” she said. “We’ve seen a little bit of a dip in just concentration during the time, having to refocus.”
Co-owner Brian Shaw said symptoms may increase as the anniversary date nears or during the spring storm season.
“It’s the springtime and it’s going to be stormier weather,” he said. “I think the weather tends to trigger a lot of the PTSD reaction in people who… maybe had not even noticed having that reaction. When storms come on again, they’ll start feeling PTSD kind of reactions they’ve never felt before, or might not have necessarily even known that they were still carrying some trauma from the storm.
“They might start having some reactions that they did not expect,” Shaw said. “I foresee that more as the anniversary comes on, but also as we’re back into the springtime and having weather that looked like that weather looked.”
School counselors have referral forms for parents or guardians to complete for their students to receive services.
Staff members should contact Changes Behavioral Health directly at 870-208-8499 and mention they are a Wynne Schools employee.
