Jewish Community Services of South Florida (JCS) Leads in Providing Trauma Counseling and Supportive Services to Survivors and Families Impacted by the Surfside Building Collapse

Our Jewish Community Services of South Florida (JCS) family sends prayers and healing to all those impacted by the Champlain Towers South collapse. Our entire JCS team is dedicated to supporting our community members, survivors, and all who have been affected by this unimaginable devastation. For those that have lost loved ones, may their memories be a blessing. For those that are still waiting to hear about unaccounted loved ones, our hearts ache and we are here to support you, for those that have survived, we are here for you today and for the long term. JCS is a part of your caring community of service.

The Jewish Community Services of South Florida (JCS) professional team has been working every day since the collapse of the Champlain Towers South to assess and address the needs of impacted families. The County’s Family Resources Center is open to provide a one-stop shop for individuals and families impacted by the Champlain Towers tragedy. This community support and resilience hub includes JCS mental health counselors, and information & referral staff that provide trauma informed care.

Our highly experienced, culturally competent JCS 2-1-1- Miami Call Center staff is available 24/7/365 to provide confidential crisis counseling and information/referral services in all languages to members of the community. A JCS 211 Chatline is also available at www.211miami.org or by texting your zip code to 898211.

JCS provides supportive services to people of all faiths and backgrounds. The professional team provides crisis counseling, food support, financial assistance and other resources to survivors, and individuals and families impacted by this tragic event. Current efforts include:

• Experienced culturally competent clinical therapists are onsite at the Family Assistance Center and available at other sites where families are located, along with funding partners, federal, state, county, business and international agencies that are-focused on securing resources and coordinating efforts.

• Support of social and health services response efforts, including integration of United Hatzalah and IDF teams from Israel to support families and survivors.

• Providing assistance for family members requiring support to travel to Miami from other parts of the world.

• Working with the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association and the City of Miami Beach for area lodging that will include housing opportunities.

• Participating in a comprehensive post-disaster community-resource assistance center for survivor and family aid, care and services. The Center includes staff from local foundations, JCS, Red Cross, FEMA, United Way, Miami Dade County and state agencies, among others.

• JCS is coordinating efforts with an array of faith-based and governmental agencies that are providing direct support services.

We are grateful for the significant leadership, selfless service and dedication of our front line clinicians and support staff that continue to provide services to those that have been impacted by this tragic event. We are also extraordinarily proud of our first responders from Miami-Dade County, the highly expert work of the world-renowned Miami-Dade Urban Search and Rescue team, the Miami Dade Police and Emergency Management teams, along with the highly experienced search and rescue teams from Israel, and Mexico City, and members of the disaster response unit from Israel.

If you know of any individuals or families that have been impacted and need help, please ask them to dial 2-1-1.

211 Miami is the JCS Call Center serving all of Miami Dade County and is available 24/7/365 for free confidential crisis counseling, information and referral services in all languages.

The Greater Miami Jewish Federation is mobilizing human and financial resources supporting the work of Jewish Community Services to assist the victims of the Surfside Building Collapse. Working with community partners, we will address the short-and long- term needs of the individuals and families who have been directly affected by this disaster. If you would like to help by making a donation, please visit JewishMiami.org/surfsidebuildingcollapse

Click here to listen to Sandy Ala, Division Director of Case Management Programs, as she discusses JCS’ response on NPR.

Click here to watch an interview by CBS Channel 4 Miami regarding JCS’ response and role community recovery.

Click here to listen to Heather Winters, Chief Programs Officer, as she discusses JCS’ response to the aftermath on NPR.