May is Mental Health Awareness month, and if you are feeling depressed, overwhelmed or experiencing any mental health-related distress, you can call or text 988. Sherrard Crespo with VIA LINK says Louisiana 988 is a help line and callers don’t necessarily need to be suicidal to reach out.
“If you just need to talk, you just need to get the gunk out, you’ve got something weighing heavy on you and you’re not sure who to talk to about it, we are there for that,” Crespo said.
Crespo says callers to Louisiana’s 988 helpline are connected with real, trained crisis specialists who provide confidential, judgment-free support and help individuals navigate tough moments.
“We just really open up the call for you to lead it. We’re never assuming what you’re calling for. We do try and close up every call with what’s going to be your plan of action,” Crespo explained.
Crespo says they also always offer a follow-up call the next day. She says they average about 5,000 calls a month.
“We actually have seen an increase in calls, but I call that a success; because while we have had an increase in calls, we have had a decrease in calls that have required any sort of emergency intervention,” Crespo noted.
For more information, go to louisiana988.org. There’s also a chat option on the website. An overwhelming majority of callers report feeling better after speaking to someone at 988.