MENTAL HEALTH

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.

More people in Central Florida are dialing 988 for mental health help since the number was introduced this summer, according to the group that runs one of 12 call centers in the state.

After yet another police suicide in Central Florida, deputies have come up with a solution: the Osceola County Sheriff's Office has finally hired a full-time in-house mental health expert.

For the past 12 months, Volusia County Sheriff's deputies responding to sensitive calls dealing with people in mental health crises have had another option, besides taking someone to the hospital for their own safety under the Baker Act.

Saturday marked the rollout of the nation's new mental health emergencies hotline, and a Central Florida nonprofit organization is prepared for the anticipated increase in calls.

As a nonbinary young adult, Raquel Kadin said they experience anxiety with the active thought of knowing they can be attacked because of their identity.

A new number arrives this week that is meant to be a 911 for behavioral health crises.

An avid paddleboarder, Mike Shoreman was told he could never paddleboard again. But he didn’t pay attention to that edict and now is trying to make history.

Team partners with mental health professionals to get results for community members in crisis

The Brevard County Sheriff's Office confirmed Friday one of its deputies took their own life.

The University of Central Florida Police Department held a training session Monday designed to help identify and support young people facing mental health challenges.

Thom Battisto started his nonprofit Read to Sydney to help students read more confidently by providing them with a therapy dog.

In the month of June, several Central Florida businesses and groups will be offering free wellness events to support mental health with community-wide activities.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is getting ready to launch a national suicide prevention lifeline in July.

Dr. Elie Hessel, a pediatric psychologist at Nemours Children’s Health, said it’s important to talk to your kids in age-appropriate language and help give them a sense of control by involving them in getting ready for any approaching storms.

A multi-million dollar program is being developed to make accessing mental health care easier for residents of Orange County.

Joy Behar has had enough of the rhetoric regarding mental health and guns.

If you are looking for someone to talk to go about a PTSD issue, use the following website: www.HU2H.org.

The manager of Orange County’s Mental Health and Homeless Division, Donna Wyche, said the county is making it a priority to address the gap in mental health services.

Three years after a man was fatally shocked with a stun gun outside of his Ocoee home, his family is calling for law enforcement to change their tactics.

There is a new effort in the state to change this in the proposed state budget this year. Mental health experts say it’s a good start, but more will be needed.

Did you know the weather has a huge impact on mental health?

This week's guest on "Getting Better with Kirstin O'Connor" is Monica Barreto, PhD, a pediatric psychologist with Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.

A 69-year-old woman shot and killed an intruder Sunday afternoon during a home invasion in Orange County, according to the sheriff’s office.

The latest initiative to promote Mental Health Awareness Month has brought several alarming statistics to light, including the record number of drug overdose deaths in 2021.

Orange County commissioners are set to vote on a proposal that would help develop a mental health action plan, according to documents obtained by News 6.

Officials say a 64-year-old Florida man whose wife and stepdaughter were terminally ill fatally shot the women and then called 911 before killing himself.

Mental health experts in Central Florida have resources to share with residents, including some furry four-legged helpers.

The Heart of Florida United Way recently said their 2-1-1 crisis hotline has seen an uptick in the number of working families that can’t keep up with their rent or mortgage payments.

Ashley Judd encouraged people to seek help for their mental health after the loss of her mother, country star Naomi Judd.

After receiving a federal grant for almost $600,000, the Flagler County sheriff converted two sections of the jail to begin helping inmates with their addiction - if they agree to take the help.

In Central Florida, 86% of overdose deaths were due to fentanyl in 2021, according to Project Opioid.

There are nationwide and local hotlines, support groups and other resources available to help people, even if they do not have mental health coverage with insurance. Here is a list of phone numbers, programs and groups available for the Central Florida area.

According to a poll of parents by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 44% reported concerns about their children’s mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, but only 16% looked for help for their kids.

The counselor will help route certain 911 calls to mental health care providers instead of law enforcement.

5 things to know about neurodiversity and why it's becoming a hot topic.

According to the department, in the first year of the program, the teams responded to 956 calls and connected more than half of those people to local mental health care.

The number of first responders committing suicide continues to rise, according to leaders of the first comprehensive statewide task force representing firefighters, EMS, law enforcement, corrections, training and behavioral health services across Florida.

One UCF faculty member has been spending her free time helping other mental health professionals in the form of free group therapy session online every Saturday via telehealth.

Orange County received $1 million from the Heart of Florida United Way, a gift that’s part of a donation made to the nonprofit by author and philanthropist, McKenzie Scott.

In 2021, Orange County voted unanimously to approve $315,000 for a study by the Heart of Florida United Way to do an analysis of the county's mental and behavioral health system.

Organization starts America's first mental health barbershop movement

The new unit Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell ushered in last year to address mental health in the criminal justice system is still going strong.

Following the deaths of two St. Lucie County deputies from suicide, Sheriff Ken J. Mascara on Wednesday said that law enforcement is faced with mental health challenges that must be better recognized.

We might not be able to claim that 2021 was *the* wildest year in recent history (2020 will likely get that credit for quite some time), but it might be a close second.

The highly sought after Finley Project, which started in Central Florida but has since exploded nationwide, caters to the physical and emotional needs of mothers in mourning through a seven-step program.

Mental illness in the criminal justice system is a long-standing problem, according to Orange-Osceola state attorney Monique Worrell.

Orange County leaders said they are struggling with how to provide help to mentally ill residents who find themselves repeatedly arrested and charged with crimes.

Throughout the pandemic, there’s been a lot of focus on not only physical health but mental health as well.

Lake Mary High School opens new student lounge to provide mental health care to students.