May is Mental Health Awareness Month, but the city of Beverly Hills and Maple Counseling are working together to provide resources that will benefit the city’s first responders for years to come. Maple Counseling, the nonprofit community clinic that provides affordable mental health services to Los Angeles County residents, has partnered with the Beverly Hills Fire Department (BHFD) to offer the city’s firefighters and their families six months of free counseling following the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires. When the Palisades fire broke out, BHFD sent an engine with four firefighters to assist in containing the blaze.
“When we sent people to help, I knew they were going to see some things in this fire that maybe they’ve never seen before,” BHFD Chief Greg Barton told the Courier. “It takes a toll on them, and it takes a toll on their families.”
“We were very aware of the toll it was taking on the firefighters who were putting their lives on the line,” Varina Bleil, CEO of Maple Counseling, told the Courier. “Whenever there is a crisis going on and first responders are dealing with it, that also means that their families are really called upon to support them and hold it together on the home front. It was a prolonged crisis, and we wanted to recognize the sacrifices made for the safety of all of us in the Los Angeles area.”
According to Bleil, people typically wait between six weeks and two months after a trauma before seeking mental health support. “The truth about mental health during a crisis is that we’re really sowing the seeds of a future investment,” Bleil said. “When working with first responders who are trained to take on that kind of trauma as part of their day job, sometimes the demand is not immediate. Sometimes, first responders consider being able to manage stress on their own as part of the job, but it really shouldn’t and doesn’t have to be.” Recently, demand for these services has started to “pile in.”
In the weeks after the fires were extinguished, flyers were circulated among the department with information and signs to look for if someone was struggling with mental health. If a firefighter was withdrawing, not sleeping, not eating, having mood swings or acting differently, they were referred to Maple.
“There’s a lot of stuff that they see throughout their career that is very traumatic, and they have to push it down and do their job,” Chief Barton said. “That’s what the community expects from them, and that’s why this service is so important.”
In addition, Maple is also offering six free therapy sessions to anyone in Los Angeles County who was impacted by the fires. Beyond talk therapy, Maple counselors teach people how to integrate mindfulness, breath work, and somatic awareness to help manage day-to-day anxiety. “I’m just encouraging everyone to add a professional into your corner as you navigate life after living through a crisis like the LA fires,” she said.
Established in 1972 by Beverly Hills parents, Maple Counseling has been involved with the city for years. It has contracted with the Beverly Hills Unified School District to provide counseling and mental health support services to students on school sites, and as part of the city’s crisis response, a licensed therapist from Maple is also embedded with Beverly Hills first responders.
Before the fires, Maple already had an arrangement available for the Beverly Hills Police Department, the BHFD and their families, where therapy sessions were capped at $20.
The emotional and psychological impacts seen in people affected by the recent Palisades and Eaton wildfires run the gamut. Still, Bleil noted that they are primarily suffering from anxiety, existential rage, guilt, and grief.
These services can be accessed by calling Maple Counseling at 310-271-9999. Bleil encouraged the public to also call the Briskin Wilder Welcome Center, which offers mental health intake and management support at zero cost to anyone in the county. “Essentially, we’re trying to eliminate all barriers to anybody getting the mental health help that they need by removing the arduous process of even figuring out what you need, where to go, or what you can afford,” she said. “We have licensed practitioners who can take that on.”
