Help is now just a phone call away for people struggling with the pandemic. That’s after the state of Georgia created a new COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline so that people will know they are not alone during this crisis.
The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities sent us video of one of their crisis counselors in action.
“Thank you for calling the COVID-19 Emotional support line,” she said to a caller on the line.
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The state has nine paid crisis counselors on hand to assist people who are having a difficult time dealing with the pandemic.
“It could be they lost a loved one. It could be they’re sick. It could be they’re afraid of getting sick,” said mental health coordinator, Jeannette David.
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The crisis counselors offer confidential emotional support and can point you to community resources. In the video provided by the state, the crisis counselor worked to reassure someone feeling depressed about COVID-19.
“I’m very sorry to hear that you’ve been feeling depressed and overwhelmed lately,” she said to the caller.
Kenley Waller owns Kenley Catering and Sandwich Shop in downtown Atlanta. The pandemic has really hit his business hard. “We went from a million dollar restaurant to a less than $100,000 in less than a year,” he explained.
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He doesn’t need emotional support right now, but he can understand how the pandemic can send someone over the edge.
“Because you could easily just give up or either just freak out,” Waller said.
The hotline aims to prevent that.
The hotline number is 866-399-8938
It is being funded by a grant awarded to the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.
