For someone dealing with a mental health or substance abuse crisis, talking to someone who cares can make all the difference.
MHMR of Tarrant County – the mental health, addiction and developmental disabilities service group – already has a crisis hotline, and starting this week people are able to reach out by text message.
When you're in a dark place a phone line can truly be a lifeline, hearing a stranger's voice telling you you're not alone.
"You try to empathize as well as you can and listen to their thoughts and feelings and encourage them to talk about it and then start talking about solutions," said Jessica Carr, the call center's lead screening interventionist.
The I-Care call center takes in 100,000 calls a year, and the staff there knows how difficult it is to take that first step to reach out for help. So now they're making it even easier.
Carr says the privacy of not seeing someone face-to-face makes it easier to open up. And if that's true, then typing a text message is even easier.
"Asking for help can be hard," said MHMR spokesperson Catherine Carlton. "So this is a way for somebody to ask for help in a different way."
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They started testing the system this summer and on Oct. 1 kicked off 24/7 texting services.
"Our very first text this summer was somebody who did need our mobile crisis unit. So that immediately sent a team out to help somebody at their residence," said Carlton.
Sometimes it's as simple as connecting the caller to a substance abuse or mental health clinic. Sometimes it's life or death.
Carr says the second call she ever took was from a suicidal person.
"We were able to get the mobile crisis outreach team out to go out to them and I've talked to them several times since," said Carr. "They call for support and reassurance. I don't know how to describe what the feeling is like when you help someone. It's just very fulfilling."
So however you reach out, know there's someone there ready to pull you back up.
I-Care is the only crisis line in Tarrant County that connects you with local services. If you or someone you know needs mental health or substance abuse help, call 817-335-3022, or toll free 1-800-866-2465.
