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Local therapists, LiveWell and LAC discuss survey, counseling lists after federal, county job cuts
Summary
Council members discussed reports of federal and seasonal job losses affecting Park County, proposed anonymous surveys to gauge need, and options to coordinate therapists and short-term supports while funding uncertainty remains.
Park County Local Advisory Council members on Feb. 20 discussed outreach options after reports that some federal and seasonal National Park Service positions and certain grant-funded roles have been cut, and explored ways to tally needs and match residents with mental-health resources.
Laurel (LAC member) said it is unclear how many people are affected: “There's people that took the buyout. There's people that got laid off, and there's a lot of people that are afraid of being laid off. And so it's, unclear to me how many people this is.” Council members proposed anonymous online surveys (Google Forms or similar) and suggested adding a list of therapists taking new clients to a county resource page.
Public-health and community partners offered possible operational support. A LiveWell representative said the organization has infrastructure used previously after floods and could help administer short-term counseling programs if funding were available. One participant noted the Park County Community Foundation’s grant cycle and suggested the group could pursue foundation support for expanded counseling or short-term subsidies.
Why it matters: Members emphasized that job cuts can reduce insurance coverage and increase demand for low- or no-cost mental-health services. A therapist on the call recommended setting clear expectations for limited short-term services (for example, a defined number of sessions) to manage demand.
Discussion and next steps: The council agreed to continue planning via email. Members said they would compile data points and contacts, and pursue whether the health department, the Local Emergency Committee (LEC) or a neutral partner could host an anonymous survey. LiveWell agreed to share utilization data from earlier post-disaster counseling efforts to help estimate likely demand.
Ending: The council did not set a formal vote on the survey or funding but asked participants to report findings and possible funding opportunities at the March meeting.
