By Kami Dalton
About two hundred extra phone calls have been made to the Salt Lake Valley Mental Health Center since the Trolley Square shootings Monday night, said public information officer Connie Hines.
Hines said efforts are being made to coordinate counseling efforts for interested individuals.
BYU psychology professor Dee Higley said counseling needs of witnesses and victims depend on the level of exposure to the shooting and the individual. Often, he said, counseling can be most valuable after a week or two, when the individual has had time to settle down.
“We urge anyone who desires that kind of help to call the [Salt Lake Valley Mental Health Center] crisis helpline,” said Governor Anderson in a press conference, “whether you were present or not.”
Hines said calls for somebody to talk to or to be referred to counseling are welcome. Both friends or family members of shooting victims and those who want to know how to better help affected individuals have been calling the center.
Those affected by the shootings are being encouraged to call the Salt Lake Valley Mental Health Center crisis helpline at (801) 261-1442.
