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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release February 22, 2000

                 VICE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES $4.9 MILLION
               CRISIS COUNSELING GRANT FOR NORTH CAROLINA

Vice President Al Gore announced today that $4.9 million in federal funds has been made available for North Carolina to support crisis counseling activities for people victimized by Hurricane Floyd.

"Tipper visited Rocky Mount last September after the floods and discussed the community's long term mental health needs. The stress and trauma caused by disasters can often leave deep and lasting psychological scars if left untreated," Vice President Al Gore said. "This grant will help ensure that all those who experienced Floyd's terrible devastation will have the resources they need for their emotional well-being."

The $4.9 grant is being provided through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Crisis Counseling Program as part of the assistance authorized under the President's major disaster declaration issued for North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Floyd last September. The program provides grants to state mental health departments to support local and county mental health programs delivering services to disaster victims.

Crisis counseling activities can include a wide range of outreach and referrals to address the stress felt by normal people that undergo the extraordinary demands of recovering from a disaster. Services are delivered by mental health professionals working in various local and private non-profit agencies that exist in the affected communities.

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