SARASOTA (WSNN) Nearly nine months in, we know COVID takes a toll on coronavirus patients and their families. But who takes care of those who take care of COVID sufferers?
“74-percent of them said their job has gotten harder because of COVID,” Resilient Retreat Founder and Board Chair, Sidney Turner said.
Since 2018, Resilient Retreat has been serving abuse survivors, first-responders, and helping professionals like firefighters, doctors, teachers, and non-profit workers. Turner says they’re stepping up to help meet the need for COVID’s impact on their physical and mental health. With free services online and take-home care packages.
“They can take home to do evidence-based treatments at convenient times for them,” Turner said.
Including yoga mats, foam-rolling kits for self-massages, and journals.
But now, two years of prep work and 245 permits later, Resilient Retreat is groundbreaking at a new location; Friday night.
“Our Center is going to be able to house up to 30 people for overnight retreats 3-5 days and will also have a community center where we can have 100 people at a time,” Turner said.
In two years, they’ll be going from day programs with treatments at different locations, to overnight programs at one location.
“People will be able to go one place to have the latest and greatest treatments for trauma,” Turner said.
With equine therapy, yoga therapy, support groups, and more.
Through his experience as a firefighter for nearly three decades, Jeff Cripe says the effect trauma has on first responders is real.
“You look at like there’s an ER at a hospital for your initial reach out, but then after that, there’s nothing to help you on your road to a full meaningful recovery and a good life,” Fire Fighter of 27 years and Resilient Retreat Board of Directors, Jeff Cripe said.
So that’s where the new center comes in.
“Resilient Retreat is going to be a great vehicle to not only survive but thrive,” Cripe said.
“Our hope is really to these people transcend their traumatic experiences and have hope and well-being after these really difficult times,” Turner said.