Nebraska Extension, UNMC partner to offer mental health support after wildfires – Nebraska Today

April 7, 2026
Nebraska Extension has launched a disaster response to recent wildfires that now includes mental health support from the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska.
Wildfires have burned more than 700,000 acres across Nebraska in recent weeks, including the Morrill Fire — the largest in state history — and three other major blazes.
The Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska, created by the Nebraska Legislature in 2009 and housed at UNMC, leads statewide efforts to recruit, train and retain behavioral health workers.
“Hearing firsthand how people have been affected, it’s heart-wrenching,” said Dr. Marley Doyle, director of the center and an associate professor of psychiatry at UNMC.
The center has six regional sites across the state, and its co-directors are working within their communities on local response efforts. Doyle and the center are also serving on Nebraska Extension’s wildfire task force.
The center and Nebraska Extension have created a “Behavioral Health Resources after Natural Disasters” guide to assist communities and providers. The guide includes free resources such as webinars and training.
“We need to get these resources out. You never want them to be too late,” Doyle said.
Because the resources are asynchronous, they can be used whenever they are needed, including during future disasters.
Doyle said recovery from natural disasters typically occurs in phases. In the immediate aftermath, people focus on survival. That is followed by a rallying phase, when communities come together.
Communities already are organizing efforts to support those affected, including a Sandhills Strong benefit dinner and a nonprofit effort to replant trees.
About three to four months after a disaster, Doyle said, the full impact often sets in for those affected.
“That’s when behavioral health support is really needed,” she said.
Doyle said it was natural for Nebraska Extension to involve the center in the response.
“It speaks to the importance of relationships when you are doing this work,” she said. “It seems natural that we jumped on this task force.”
The center will join experts in fields including agriculture and finance at meetings led by Nebraska Extension and federal agencies April 8-10 in Arthur, Brady and Oshkosh.
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