More than a year after Hurricane Helene devastated communities in western North Carolina, the emotional and mental health toll continues to deepen. Staff at Crossroads Treatment Center in Weaverville, just north of Asheville, report that demand for mental health and addiction support services skyrocketed in the storm’s aftermath. Program Director Hannah Clark noted that many people sought care who were not previously established patients: “We had a lot of people show up at our clinic when we were operating without water and power because they needed help. They didn’t have a choice because they weren’t okay.”
The hurricane’s impact was severe. As Clark described: “There were neighborhood dogs unearthing toddlers. There were bodies in trees. The anniversary of Helene brought a lot of that back up for people.” When a hurricane threat appeared near the anniversary, it was re-traumatizing for residents who were already processing significant loss. Crossroads is launching a new mobile unit in the coming months to serve patients beyond Buncombe County, focusing on Yancey and Mitchell counties where residents had limited access to support services in the early aftermath.
Breaking Through Barriers
The mobile unit aims to reduce transportation barriers and create a safe space for multiple generations to heal. Clark explained the importance of culturally responsive care in Appalachia: “Appalachia people don’t just trust anybody. When one person from a holler or a family steps into recovery and they say, ‘These are good people and they’re going to help us,’ it allows others to trust that.”
Effective addiction and mental health treatment cannot follow a “one-size-fits-all” approach, Clark noted. Crossroads currently helps patients from three generations of families. “If we can start to see grandma getting okay, then we reduce mom not being okay, and then the kids,” she said. This generational approach seeks to break cycles of addiction and mental health challenges.
Crossroads data from 2024 found retention rates companywide were twice the national average. According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, more than 31,600 people were enrolled in opioid treatment centers in North Carolina in 2024, representing a 25% increase since 2019. The organization is seeking a host site for the new mobile unit, with staff noting that stigma has made the search challenging.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.wral.com/news/state/mobile-addiction-mental-health-western-nc-after-helene-december-2026/