Mental Health is Health
please get help!
Mental Health is Health. United Way believes that mental health is health and that everyone should all care for mental health just the same as physical health. Many studies have shown uncared for mental health issues can lead to physical problems such as high blood pressure, headaches, digestive issues, and sleep problems. So mental health really is health. Many people recognize a need for assessing mental health issues, but are not really sure what to do about it, think counseling is not affordable, or don’t know how to find a counselor.
Find resources below to help get started or consider talking to Your HR manager Many health insurance plans cover counseling, but a lot of people are not aware of this benefit or how to access it. Your doctor Your doctor or a doctor if you don’t have a physician you regularly see - a doctor can help assess what type of therapy you might need and give you a referral. Your pastor Many pastors are trained in lay counseling which means they are not licensed counselors but have received some training in counseling. That may just be the support you need, but if you need something more, a pastor can help you get connected. Your school counselor School counselors have a lot to do these days and often we think more about them when it comes to academic testing and college prep, but school counselors are trained to support the mental health needs of youth. If she thinks that your child could benefit from ongoing counseling, she can help you get connected. Ask specifically about the TCATT program which offers telehealth services to public school students. Communities in Schools If your child’s school has a Communities in Schools site coordinator, he can help you get connected to a counselor or therapist. He can also provide some basics skills training such as anger management.
Golden Gazette • June 2022 • Page 9
Hotline/Immediate Help • StarCare Specialty Health System Mental Health Hotline: Call 806.740.1450 or text StarCare to 67634 Speak with a qualified mental health professional (QMHP) who can provide access to a variety of confidential and anonymous services for coping with disaster common reactions and for managing stress caused by uncertain times.
• Texas Youth Hotline: Call or text 800.989.6884 or Chat Provides free and confidential services to youth, their parents, and other family members of youth in crisis who need help finding a counselor, safe shelter, legal information, other local referral information, or just someone to talk to. • SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline: Call 800.985.5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 Provides immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster. The helpline is free, multilingual, confidential, and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 800.273.TALK (8255) or Chat with Lifeline; En Español 888.628.9454; People who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have hearing loss call 800.799.4889 Free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Lifeline connects callers to the nearest crisis center in the Lifeline national network. These centers provide crisis counseling and mental health referrals. • Crisis Textline: Text HOME to 741741 Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the U.S. The Crisis Text Line serves anyone, in any type of crisis, connecting them with a crisis counselor who can provide support and information. • The Trevor Project: Call 866.488.7386 or text START to 678678 A national 24-hour, toll-free confidential suicide hotline for LGBTQ youth. • Trans Lifeline: Call 877.565.8860 for US and 877.330.6366 for Canada Trans Lifeline’s Hotline is a peer support service run by trans people, for trans and questioning callers. • Veterans Crisis Line (VA): Call 800-273-TALK (8255) and press option 1 or text 838255; People who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have hearing loss call 800.799.4889 Free, confidential resource that connects veterans 24 hours a day, seven days a week with a trained responder. The service is available to all veterans, even if they are not registered with the VA or enrolled in VA healthcare.
