Mental Health

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act, and helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is intimately connected with physical health and lays the foundation for positive growth.

Mental health not only affects an individual, it also impacts families and communities.

• Mental Health Handout - Available in two languages (double-sided English and en Español)

Resources for Assistance 

Florida Resources

• 211 - Thousands of caring, local experts are available to help, 24/7. Calls to 211 are confidential and can be anonymous.
• Hope for Healing - Hope for Healing navigates the many ways Floridians can access help for mental health and substance abuse.
• Resiliency and Mental Health - Resources for children provided by the Florida Department of Education.
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse - Florida Department of Children and Families provides crisis support resources to locate verified social services providers for food, housing, transit, healthcare, legal aid, and more.
• Childrens Mental Health - Coordinated network of community-based services and supports that is family-driven to produce individualized, evidence-based, culturally, and linguistically competent outcomes that improve the lives of children and their families.

National Resources

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline - Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, in addition to prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones. Call or text 988 for help.

Mental Health First Aid

The Mental Health First Aid Program introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health concerns, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common treatments. The course uses role-playing and simulations to demonstrate how to assess a mental health crisis, select interventions and provide initial help, and connect individuals to professional, peer, and social supports as well as self-help resources.

Participants Learn

• Potential risk factors and warning signs for a range of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety/trauma, psychosis, eating disorders, substance use disorders, and self-injury
• Understanding of the prevalence of various mental health disorders and the need for reduced stigma in communities
• 5-step action plan encompassing skills, resources, and knowledge to assess the situation, to select and implement appropriate interventions, and to help the individual in crisis connect with appropriate professional care
• Evidence-based professional, peer, social, and self-help resources available to help someone with a mental health problem

To get more information, or to inquire about a course, contact Info.DOHCollier@FLhealth.gov.

 Support Positive Mental Health

• Getting professional help - if you feel depressed seek help from a professional
• Connecting with others – try a weekly check-in
• Staying positive – read daily positive affirmation
• Getting physically active – take a walk during breaks or times of stress
• Helping others – volunteer to help others in need
• Getting enough sleep – drink a cup of tea or listen to soft music

If you or someone you care about is having thoughts of harming themselves or in emotional distress, call or text 988 immediately.