Pulse-inspired center widens counseling aid
The Orlando United Assistance Center, created to help survivors of the Pulse massacre and families of the dead, is now offering free counseling to anyone affected by the tragedy — even those who weren’t in the club and didn’t lose a family member there.
The service is expected to continue until at least 2020.
“We want our community to know that if you were impacted by the Pulse tragedy, we’re here to help,” director Michael Aponte said. “Maybe you were able to function and handle things for a while, and then the [Las] Vegas shooting happened, or some other event happened, and you decided you needed to get some help.”
The center, managed by the Heart of Florida United Way, is
now in an office building on East Michigan Street in Orlando, having moved from its initial, temporary home at Camping World Stadium. Its 11 employees include four case managers who pair clients with contracted mental-health counselors. The counseling itself is free to anyone who is uninsured or under-insured.
“Honestly, they have been tremendous,” said Ramses Tinoco, 36, who still goes to the center for counseling after being trampled during the shooting. He lost 12 friends in the attack. “I know it took a month for me just to go get help … and, sadly, I know there are people who still haven’t gone, although I would encourage anyone. This is something that impacted our entire city.”
Terry DeCarlo, executive director of The Center — the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community center in Orlando — agreed. Though his own agency and the Mental Health Association of Central Florida also have provided counselors in the aftermath of Pulse, the need is still great, he said.
“The more counseling that we can have throughout Orlando, the better,” DeCarlo said. “I know for a fact that there are still people, nearly a year and a half later, who haven’t gotten counseling, who have been living with this and trying to deal with it on their own. I have said from the beginning that counseling is going to be needed for three, five, 10 years.”
At the assistance center, two federal grants are covering most of the expense. They include $500,000 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and roughly $4 million from a U.S. Department of Justice grant that begins in January.
In addition, a $272,000 grant from the Better Together Fund, created by the Central Florida Founda- tion, is covering mentalhealth services and financial aid for Pulse survivors.
Because the center helped only survivors and family members during its first year — and a publicity campaign to announce its broader mission hasn’t yet launched — word has been slow to reach other people who could benefit from the services, Aponte said. But he and his staff are planning to offer a range of programs in the coming months, including financial literacy training and group classes that clients will be able to take online or in person.
“We see the center as a resource for our community in a way that supports our continuing health and growth,” said Joan Nelson, a Heart of Florida United Way senior vice president. “The staff there are just the most amazing, caring folks.”
Center personnel staffed memorial events for the one-year anniversary of the shooting as well as Orlando’s recent Come Out With Pride festival. It also has staff members who are fluent in Spanish and sensitive to both Hispanic and gay issues.
“In Hispanic culture, we tend to put [mental health concerns] on the back burner,” said Joel Morales, the center’s community partnership developer. “There is a saying that we wash our dirty clothes at home so no one will know. But that needs to change.”
The center can be reached through a 24-hour hot line at 407-500-HOPE.
“We see the center as a resource for our community in a way that supports our continuing health ... ” Joan Nelson, Heart of Florida United Way senior VP