NEW TOLL-FREE NUMBER PROVIDES MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT DURING CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

One certainty during the uncertainty surrounding the Coronavirus Pandemic is the new toll-free phone line to get short-term & free support from the #TexansRecoveringTogether Crisis Counseling Program, which is available for the people of our six Central Texas counties.

The new number is: (866) 576-1101.

“We’re excited and honored to offer anyone in McLennan, Bosque, Hill, Falls, Limestone and Freestone counties the short-term, outreach-oriented support they need, with a toll-free call. Our services are free, anonymous and confidential for anybody directly or indirectly affected by the Coronavirus disaster,” said Vince Erickson, who’s the Project Manager through the Heart of Texas Region MHMR Center. 

#TexansRecoveringTogether is a program funded through a short-term relief grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). It uses a strength-based, outreach approach that utilizes crisis counselors to meet individuals or groups in non-traditional, and virtual, settings in the community to promote resilience, empowerment, and recovery. Counselors can also help people identify and access their own personal resources, as well as, community resources to help them recover from this unprecedented disaster. Here in Central Texas, the Heart of Texas Region MHMR offers these attainable, caring, and responsive support services in McLennan, Hill, Bosque, Falls, Limestone and Freestone Counties.

Erickson stressed #TexansRecoveringTogether supports short-term interventions for anyone who calls the new toll-free number:

• Helping disaster Survivors understand their current situation

• Reducing stress and providing emotional support

• Assisting Survivors in reviewing their disaster recovery options

• Promoting the use of development of coping strategies

• Connecting Survivors with other people and agencies who can help them in their recovery process

Erickson added the local outreach-oriented staff are Central Texans and are sometimes coping with their own reactions to the pandemic but are ready to provide a certain means of support during this uncertain time.

“Anybody who’s seen a disaster has been affected by a disaster,” Erickson said. “The Coronavirus was declared a National Disaster back on March 13. Our program is here to help anybody who needs short-term & free counseling, or simply to talk to a trained professional for some good, old-fashioned support during this unprecedented disaster. We will respond! It’s a free phone call away.”

For mental health support during the COVID-19 Pandemic, call: (866) 576-1011