Lessons in Resilience: How Southern California Wildfire Evacuations Shaped the Future of Mental Health Care

(SACRAMENTO)

Irma Velasco moved from Texas to California to boost her nursing career and address the mental health workforce gap. After three years as a family nurse practitioner in Austin, she decided to dive into the UC Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Certificate Program last July. Although she didn’t know anyone in California, she was excited about focusing her practice on mental health.

This one-year program blends online lessons with in-person clinical rotations. Students from all over the state are guided by faculty from several esteemed nursing schools, including UC Davis, UCLA, UC Irvine, and UCSF. At 30, Velasco, who lives in Hollywood, only interacted with her classmates online—until everything changed in January.

During a Zoom class session, Velasco’s neighbor called with alarming news: the nearby Runyon Canyon was on fire, and she needed to evacuate. As she looked out from her sixth-floor balcony, panic set in. She could see flames in the distance but didn’t know where to go.

Her classmates and professor shared advice online. “It’s time to go! Get up and make a go bag,” urged Stacey Green, a UCLA nursing professor involved in the program. With urgency, Velasco packed essentials, still unsure of her destination. Then came a text that offered a glimmer of hope: “You can come to my house. I’ve set up a mattress and ordered pizza.”

Classmate Erika Jenkins opened her home in Burbank, just 20 minutes away. This act of kindness highlighted the compassion that is essential for advanced practice nurses working in mental health.

“I come from McAllen, Texas, where not much happens,” Velasco said, laughing. “I’ve only seen this on TV, and now I’m living it.”

The UC PMHNP program is designed to prepare students for board certification in psychiatric and mental health care—a field in urgent need of professionals. Students like Jenkins initially struggled to build connections due to the online format but found that deeper bonds formed as the program progressed. Jenkins noted, “Professor Green really fostered connection. Irma’s situation brought us together in a special way.”

Velasco felt grateful for the support. “In a new city, I felt alone at first, but I realized I had a network I could reach out to, even through a screen.”

This experience during the wildfire illustrated the strength and resilience of both the students and their professors in the intense 12-month program. Professor Green emphasizes the importance of supporting each other for long-term success. “We need to be mentally well ourselves to help others,” she said. “It’s crucial to take care of your own needs first, just like on a plane when they instruct you to put on your mask before assisting others.”

The program also incorporates a competency-based curriculum that encourages self-reflection. This helps students understand their own reactions, making them more effective providers for their future patients. Program director Lynda Creighton-Wong noted that working with mental health is often more emotionally demanding than other medical areas. “If providers neglect their own wellbeing, they risk compassion fatigue and burnout,” she said.

Velasco’s journey reinforced her belief in the importance of community and resources for patients. Her experience during the wildfire taught her a valuable lesson: “I want to care for people the way I was cared for that night. It’s vital to prepare patients with resources before emergencies arise.”

“I’ve gained so much respect and appreciation for my program, classmates, faculty, and UC Davis as a whole,” Velasco said, expressing her gratitude for being part of the PMHNP program.

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