East Lansdowne mental health clinicians offer free counseling to support community after tragedy
EAST LANSDOWNE, Pa. (CBS) - Many in the East Lansdowne community and surrounding areas are finding it difficult to wrap their heads around what happened on Wednesday following a shooting involving officers and a deadly house fire.
As the chaotic scene was playing out just six blocks from their counseling offices, Jessica Drake and Annike Sprow were with patients when they first heard helicopters soar above them.
"The sirens, we heard the helicopters and we saw the smoke," Drake said.
The two clinicians have been working in the mental health space together for over 12 years. They advise those in the community to give themselves grace and to be vigilant about the impacts of isolation following a traumatic event like this.
"Even just like the obsessive thoughts about it and wanting to look it up all the time," Sprow said. "So, kind of like notice that and acknowledge it and figure out a way to kind of cope and deal with that. One of the main ways to do that is definitely leaning on your family, your community."
Sprow and Drake opened up their Collaborative Care Behavioral Health offices in East Lansdowne in July 2023 after seeing a need for more mental health support in the community.
"We're one of the only mental health resources in the area that we've found," Sprow said.
"An event like this definitely highlights the kind of gap and the lack of resources when it comes to mental health," Drake said.
They mainly focus on providing counseling to children and adolescents. But they're now opening up their services for residents of all ages by offering free group counseling sessions to anyone impacted by the recent events.
They've also extended their resources to any local schools and police departments that may need support during this time.
"I'm hoping we can support the community in starting the healing process," Drake said. "The healing process looks different for everyone based on their lived experiences."
Free group counseling sessions will be held Monday from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at 26 South Highland Avenue in Lansdowne.