Fla.’s Mental Health Agencies Brace For Long-Lasting Fallout From Pulse Shooting
"The biggest volume of calls is going to come at about three months," psychologist Deborah Beidel says. "That's when people figure out they're not getting better."
Orlando Sentinel:
Pulse Shooting Likely To Test Fragile Mental-Health System
Six weeks after the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history, the mental-health toll of the Pulse nightclub massacre is barely beginning, authorities say. And in a state already ranked worst in the nation for mental-health resources, Central Florida agencies are trying to beef up now to prepare for the months — and even years — ahead. (Santich, 8/2)
Meanwhile, some victims are grappling with how to pay for their high hospital bills —
Kaiser Health News:
The Costs Of The Pulse Nightclub Shooting
Mario Perez lives in Miami, but he was in Orlando for a housewarming party Saturday, June 11. After the party, the 34-year-old went to the Pulse nightclub for Latin night. At 2 a.m., he heard gunshots. Loud. He knew it was real. ... The gunshot wound on his side is purple and swollen, and he has nerve damage from the bullet fragment. He cut his elbow from glass on the floor of the nightclub and needed six stitches. Perez doesn't know how much bills coming from specialists, X-rays and tests might cost him. But his bill from Orlando Regional Medical Center's emergency department is $20,000. "$20,000," Perez said. "That's the quote, that's what they told me." Perez has no health insurance. He's working for a temp agency right now and doesn't have the money to be seen by a doctor for follow-up care in Miami. (Aboraya, 8/3)