About Louisiana Spirit

Louisiana Spirit

The Louisiana Spirit Crisis Counseling Program (commonly referred to as Louisiana Spirit) is operated during a presidentially declared disaster under the oversight of the Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Behavioral Health (LDH/OBH). The Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP) is funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and administrated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Our Mission

The mission of the CCP is to assist individuals and communities in recovering from the effects of disasters through the provision of free community-based outreach and psycho-educational services.

Our Purpose

Louisiana Spirit helps people recover and rebuild their lives after a disaster at no cost to the survivor. Through short-term interventions, crisis counselors provide public education about disaster reactions and coping strategies; crisis counseling; and stress management services to assist disaster survivors and their families, local government staff, rescuers, disaster first responders, business owners, religious communities, and other special populations.
Louisiana Spirit has supported the residents of Louisiana throughout disasters such as the floods of 2016, the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, and 2005 Hurricane Katrina and Rita along with other hurricanes that have impacted our state. Louisiana Spirit has become an important model for response to a variety of disastrous events. It symbolizes Louisiana’s ability to recover and the process of moving forward from a health-based perspective.

Services Provided

Individual and group crisis counseling
Basic supportive or educational contact
Community networking
Assessments, referrals, and resources
Development and distribution of educational materials
Media and public service announcements

Louisiana Spirit CCP Benefits

Louisiana Spirit supports short-term interventions with the following goals:

Helping understand the current situations and reactions.
Reducing stress and providing emotional support.
Promoting self-reliance by teaching tools of goal setting, resilience building, and coping.

Psycho-Educational Presentations Offered

Managing Stress and Anxiety
Grief and Loss
Teacher Burnout
Building Resiliency
Dealing with Compassion Fatigue and Stress
Managing Aggressive Feelings
Work Life Balance General
Work Life Balance Working Remotely
Complex Trauma
Helping Families, Children & Adolescents Cope with Trauma

Louisiana Spirit Youth Program Curriculums

Healing After Trauma Skills (HATS)

https://cpeip.fsu.edu/storm/StormresourcesFiles/resourceFile_59.pdf

Manual only

Support for Students Exposed to Trauma (S.S.E.T.S.)

https://ssetprogram.org/

Complete 4 hour training

COVID-19 CCP Response

The novel coronavirus is a contagious, respiratory virus that first appeared outside the U.S. in December 2019, with Louisiana seeing its first case in March 2020. Since then, cases of COVID-19 have expanded throughout the entire state and has impacted everyone’s daily life.

In response to COVID-19, Louisiana Spirit has adapted to the need for new and innovative approaches to crisis counseling and community-based outreach services. Traditionally, services are provided in a face-to-face setting. Louisiana Spirit follows state mandated recommendations in our service delivery. Crisis counseling services are offered virtually and in safe, physically distanced settings. Louisiana Spirit Crisis Counseling services are offered statewide and in partnership with local behavioral health providers. Locally, CCP services are administered by Metropolitan Human Services District, Capital Area Human Services District, Central Louisiana Human Services District, Northwest Louisiana Human Services District, and Florida Parishes Human Services Authority. State level services are offered in South Central and Northeast Louisiana.

Hurricane Laura CCP Response

Hurricane Laura made landfall on August 27, 2020 as a Category 4 hurricane near Cameron, Louisiana. This storm made history by being the fifth strongest hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. and was the first storm in recent memory to maintain hurricane strength as it traveled through the state. Of Louisiana’s 64 parishes, 21 parishes received a major disaster declaration due to the destruction caused by Hurricane Laura. Crisis counseling services are provided in the 21 parishes referenced in the map below.

Louisiana Spirit provides crisis counseling and public education services to survivors affected by hurricanes and to public service workers such as first responders, healthcare workers, industry workers, educators, and nursing home administrators. These services promote resilience, empowerment, and recovery.