Describe the Issue or Situation.

In 2022, 13 Eastern Kentucky counties were impacted severely by flooding and were declared Federal disasters, Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Johnson, Johnson, Knott, Leslie, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Owsley, Perry, Pike, and Whitley. Immediate response through volunteer mutual aid groups, state and local agencies, state extension personnel, and FEMA addressed some of the damages to property and infrastructure, but many were unable to receive the material and financial support that they need to recover. Beyond the damages to property, workplaces, and the roads in these counties, many residents of these counties were impacted emotionally and continue to feel the impact of the stress and trauma of experiencing a disaster of this magnitude. This is an area that experiences generational poverty, where poverty rates at or above 20%, well over the US average of 12.6%. And the households most affected, accounting for 60% of the damaged homes, reported earnings of $30,000 per year or less. Households with lower income report slower recovery than those with higher incomes, some may never return to pre-flood conditions. These rural counties also encounter healthcare (including mental and behavioral healthcare) scarcity with few providers to address community need.

Describe the Outreach or Educational Program Response (and Partners, if applicable).

Kentucky State University wrote a USDA/NIFA Rapid Response grant to support programming to address community mental health needs, provide disaster preparedness education and materials, and offer financial support to flood survivors. Community partners, including Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, Kentucky River Regional Prevention Center, and state Extension agents worked to create programing to reach survivors more than 2 years after flooding. Nine Disaster Mental Health workshops were hosted over the course of two months (January and February 2025) in person in Letcher, Madison, & Perry Counties and virtually for residents of the 13 counties with disaster declarations. The program included weather related disaster education, as well as mental health education in stress management and healthy coping skills. Workshops explained the physical, emotional, and behavioral impacts of the stress that is caused by experiencing a disaster; ways to self-monitor your stress; where and when to seek help from others, including professionals; what stress symptoms look like in children and adults.

Program participants also were asked to complete the "Focus Group Survey" to address ongoing supports needed, through questions like "What feelings did you experience after the disaster?" and "What were the biggest barriers you faced?" The survey data is being used to inform future programs offered by KSU extension professionals.

We continue to support flood survivors with the opportunity to share their story with others, in collaboration with the KSU Media team, to record and preserve these stories of recovery. 

Provide the Number and Description(s) of Participants/Target Audience.

We reached 87 residents of nine Eastern Kentucky counties (Boyd, Garrard, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Letcher, Madison. Perry, Whitley) who lived or worked in the 13 counties impacted by the 2022 floods. 

• Age ranges of participants (not required to answer)
  • 18-24: 6
  • 25-34: 12
  • 35-44: 17
  • 45-54: 16
  • 55-64: 13
  • 65+: 6
• Race (not required to answer)
  • African American or Black, not of Hispanic origin: 6
  • Asian: 0
  • Hispanic or Latino/a: 0
  • White, not of Hispanic origin: 60
  • Two or more races: 4
• Gender (not required to answer)
  • Male: 22
  • Female: 48

Provide a Statement of Outcomes or Program Impact. Please note that the outcomes statement must use evaluation data to describe the change(s) that occurred in individuals, groups, families, businesses, or in the community because of the program/outreach.

More than 78% of participants who completed the "Focus Group Survey" said that the workshop met their expectations, more than 74% would recommend others in their community attend the training. 

When asked to share what they learned from the workshop, respondents said:

• "Even with the training I've had previously in Mental health, I still gained more tools I had not yet learned in not only managing but recognizing stress in others and myself. Sometimes we don't know what the threshold is, when we need to seek support and assistance. And when we may need to start offering support if we see it in others." 
• "That it's okay to ask for help with mental health. Your mental health is the most important step to having a healthy life."
•  "I'm a Survivor"
• "Stress, good or bad, can have an actual physical effect on your body."