LAGUNA BEACH : Counseling Program to Aid Fire Victims

Orange County has designated two civic groups to provide free counseling for fire survivors, an official for one of the organizations announced Tuesday.

With federal emergency funding, the “Laguna Cares” program will begin immediately and continue through Dec. 27. The program will be implemented by the Laguna Beach Community Clinic and Laguna Presbyterian Church.

One of the main problems facing people who suffered losses is a delayed stress reaction, similar to what war veterans experience, said Jay Fournier, spokesman for the clinic.

“People spend a lot of time the first couple of weeks taking care of business and managing issues,” Fournier said. “But after that, we’ll probably see large numbers of people trying to cope with their loss.”

Because stress over the fire isn’t limited to the 366 families who lost their homes, “Laguna Cares” organizers will try to provide services to anyone suffering fire-related anxiety.

Counseling services will include:

* A crisis counseling hot line available from 8 a.m. to midnight seven days a week. A licensed crisis counselor can be reached at (714) 376-9288.

* An information and referral service for residents suffering from emotional problems stemming from the fire. Callers will be referred to licensed mental health groups for free short-term counseling or support groups. For information, call (714) 376-2141.

* Crisis and stress debriefing for public service employees. The counseling is intended for law enforcement, maintenance, disaster assistance and other city workers who helped deal with problems caused by the fire and its aftermath.

* A community outreach and education program. Outreach workers will be present at public places throughout the city, from churches to shopping centers, to listen to people’s fire-related problems and offer information and referrals. Special efforts will be made to reach Latinos, the elderly and the homeless mentally disabled.