State Offers Counseling For Flood Victims

The Vermont Health Department is offering crisis counseling, emotional support and psychological first aid to Vermonters affected by flooding from Tropical Storm Irene.

The service "Starting Over Strong," or SOS, will be administered by Washington County Mental Health Services and teams of crisis support workers across the state.

Mental Health Commissioner Christine Oliver says most Vermonters were affected in one way or another by the historic flooding and some suffered extreme loss and trauma.

She says the program can help communities, families and individuals of any age recover from the emotional stress after the flood.

The program is a short-term effort designed to help up to 3,000 people.

For more information, people can go to the Health Department's website, healthvermont.gov, and choose "After the flood."