CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Referrals specifically for young people dealing with behavioral health issues are now available through HELP4WV, the helpline that has been taking calls about mental health or addiction treatment largely for adults for the past five years.
Helpline specialists trained to provide information and assist with referrals are available 24/7 by phone at 1-844-HELP-4WV, by text at 1-844-435-7498, or online at www.HELP4WV.com.
It’s run through First Choice Services.
“We’re expecting a lot of, probably, parents or the professionals, maybe it could be teachers, it could be doctors, to call looking for resources for children who are having behavioral health issues,” said Sheila Moran, First Choice Services director of communication and marketing.
In most cases, treatment can be arranged with 24 hours of the initial call or connections can be made for children’s crisis services, peer recovery coaching and other services in local communities.
“Our goal is to have children taken care of and given the proper treatment in their home whenever it’s possible,” Moran said.
Moran said the pandemic continues to amplify all kinds of issues for many people, including young people.
“For the first time, even on some of our other crisis lines, we are getting calls from children and adolescents who are — themselves — saying that they’re stressed and they’re having difficulty dealing with this,” she said.
“Difficulty dealing with the change in structure and the online school and the lack of being able to see family and do their normal activities and, of course, the constant fear and anxiety about COVID so it’s been very stressful for everyone, including young people.”
In the past five years, more than 50,000 calls have been made to HELP4WV.
In addition to HELP4WV, First Choice Services operates several helplines which will be continually staffed through the holiday season at a time when the coronavirus pandemic is driving increases in all kinds of issues like anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse or gambling addiction.
Counselors are available with no appointments necessary via HELP 304 for people dealing with anxiety, depression or COVID-related stress. There is also a weekly support group. Call 1-877-HELP-304, text 1-877-4357-304 or go online at www.HELP304.com.
The Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s available at 1-800-273-TALK.
Questions about local resources to assist with many different emergency needs can be directed to 211, a helpline run in partnership with the United Way Collaborative of West Virginia. Contacts included 211 and 1-833-848-9905. Texts with zip codes could be sent to 898211 or people could access information at wv211.org.
Free, private assistance for problem gambling can be accessed through 1-800-GAMBLER or at 1800GAMBLER.net.
The Tobacco Quitline offered free nicotine replacement therapy and advice from coaches from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays at 1-800-QUIT NOW, 304-583-4010 and WVTobaccoQuitline.com.
West Virginia Navigator was available as a free resource for people enrolling for potentially subsidized health insurance on the exchange open to people without other insurance options. The deadline for enrollments was Dec. 15. WV Navigator could be reached on weekdays at 1-844-WV-CARES or at WVNavigator.com.
Jobs & Hope was for people looking for education, training and employment with an emphasis on those in recovery who face barriers to employment. That line was available 24/7 at 1-833-784-1385 or at JobsandHope.wv.gov.