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Focusing on mental health in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian

Wooden structure of a single-story house under construction, with the Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties logo in the center of the image.
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It has now been eight days since Hurricane Ian made landfall in Lee County. As people who were hardest hit continue to do what they can to get through these times mental health professionals are urging people to do what they can to connect with others and be mindful of their own mental well-being.

We talk with someone from NAMI Collier County’s Warm Line. It’s a free, statewide mental health support phone service that is open 365 days a year from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. It’s not a crisis line and operators aren’t mental health professionals but are trained as peer specialists who are there for anyone who needs someone to talk to about their own mental health, or any issues they are struggling with.

We also listen to a conversation WGCU’s Cary Barbor had with someone from the David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health in Naples about the sensitive topic of suicide and what resources are available to those with suicidal thoughts and those who love them.

If you are thinking about harming yourself or attempting suicide, tell someone who can help right away by calling or texting to the number 988.

GUESTS:

  • Jenny Lapham, Florida Warm Line coordinator with NAMI Collier County
  • Jessica Liria, Community Outreach Specialist with the David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health in Naples
  • Michael Rosenfeld, Executive Producer of the PBS documentary Facing Suicide

Watch the PBS documentary, Facing Suicide.