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.”
