Beginning immediately, JFCS of the Suncoast (JFCS) will provide free mental health counseling to any staff of Sarasota County and Manatee County hospitals. The surge in COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths has placed an enormous burden on hospital personnel. Counseling is available to the staff at Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, Doctors Hospital of Sarasota, Venice Regional Bayfront Health, Englewood Community Hospital, Manatee Memorial Hospital, Blake Medical Center and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.

Hospital staff seeking free mental health counseling support may contact the JFCS Intake Department directly at 941-366-2224, ext. 116, to schedule priority appointments with clinicians. JFCS clinicians are experienced in trauma-based counseling, including cognitive, behavioral and psychodynamic approaches to struggles with depression, anxiety, anger management, bereavement, post-traumatic stress order and stress reduction. Hospital staff may schedule confidential sessions that can be conducted in-person or via Telehealth.

“The emotional stress hospital staff is experiencing is palpable,” said Dr. Stacy Lang, JFCS’ Chief of Behavioral Health Services. “At JFCS we have an outstanding clinical staff with significant trauma-related experience who want to do all they can to address this dramatic need within our community. We know that hospitals are doing all they can to support their staff. We simply want to be an additional resource to help staff get through extremely difficult time.”