More than a year after Hurricane Helene devastated communities in western North Carolina, health providers say the emotional and mental toll is deepening.
Staff with Crossroads Treatment Center in Weaverville, just north of Asheville, said demand for mental health and addiction support services skyrocketed in the storm’s aftermath.
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“There were neighborhood dogs unearthing toddlers. There were bodies in trees,” said Hannah Clark, program director at Crossroads in Weaverville. “The anniversary of Helene brought a lot of that back up for people.”
Clark said the center saw many people seeking care who weren’t previously established patients prior to the storms.
“We had a lot of people show up at our clinic when we were operating without water and power because they needed help,” said Clark. “They didn’t have a choice because they weren’t okay.”
Clark said Crossroads staff continued to show up despite phone communication being disrupted, because she said everyone recognized the growing need.
“There was a lot of loss, there’s still a lot missing, and with that came a lot of trauma. We’ve lost family, friends, clients – a lot of those people are still not found. We all experienced a lot of trauma following Helene,” said Clark.
Crossroads is launching a new mobile unit in the coming months to better serve patients beyond Buncombe County.
Clark said the immediate goal is to reach people in Yancey and Mitchell counties who didn’t have as much access to support services in the early aftermath of Helene.
“There are so many people in Yancy and Mitchell counties that haven’t begun that journey. As we go into the holidays, they’re missing those loved ones,” said Clark. “We also had a hurricane threat right at the anniversary, so that was re-traumatizing for a lot of people. “
The mobile unit is expected to reduce transportation barriers, while creating a safe space for multiple generations to heal from addiction and mental health challenges.
“Our local area is Appalachia, and that is a culture in and of itself. Appalachia people don’t just trust anybody. When one person from a holler or a family steps into recovery and they say, ‘These are good people and they’re going to help us,’ it allows others to trust that,” Clark explained.
She continued, “It’s really difficult to be a human. It really stinks to be an adult sometimes. A lot of us have experienced some trauma, and whatever we’re using is just helping us get through the day. We’re just there to show healthy ways to do that and be okay.”
Clark said Crossroads currently helps patients from ‘three generations’ of families. She said effective addiction and mental health treatments can not follow a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.
“If we can start to see grandma getting okay, then we reduce mom not being okay, and then the kids,” Clark shared. “I hope to do that in Yancey and Mitchell counties to reduce that generational addiction and mental health and provide a space where people feel safe to say, ‘I’m not okay.'”
Crossroads data from 2024 found retention rates companywide were twice the national average.
“I think it’s really important that as a whole -- a nation, a state, a county -- that we start to recognize how difficult it is to be human and adult and reduce the stigma associated with mental health and addiction,” said Clark. “At the end of the day we’re all just trying to get through it.”
NCDHHS reports more than 31,600 people were enrolled in opioid treatment centers in North Carolina in 2024. The number of people enrolled statewide has increased 25% since 2019.
Crossroads staff tell WRAL it has been difficult to find a host site for their new mobile unit, citing stigma.
Anyone who wants to help the mobile unit by providing a host location can reach the team at hclark@ctc.care or by calling 864-360-8966.
