Our View: You aren’t alone, name 988 to achieve Guam’s new Lifeline Middle | Opinion
Guam and the nation on Saturday formally launched the brand new 988 dialing code for psychological well being crises and suicide prevention providers. It’s like 911 — however with a unique sort of assist for a unique sort of emergency.
Except for a virus that attacked many people bodily, the COVID-19 pandemic additionally introduced with it unexpected results on our social, emotional and psychological well-being — results troublesome to deal with in a socially distanced world.
However as all of us look forward to pandemic restrictions to subside, the Guam Behavioral Well being and Wellness Middle continues working to enhance its skill to serve its shoppers and the group at massive.
From the latest launch of the division’s Cell Disaster Response Staff — which may dispatch a psychological well being skilled alongside different public security responders to emergencies — to the Hafa Tatamanu Hao Neighborhood Wellness Verify Program, which offered emotional help for people with COVID-19, the Guam Behavioral Well being is making progress in standing up the providers wanted by the island’s most susceptible residents.
As we proceed the work to switch the stigma of psychological sickness with analysis, remedy and progress, there nonetheless stays work to be finished on the behavioral well being entrance.
The excellent news is that Guam’s psychological well being consultants and entrance line employees are profiting from each alternative, grant and federal aid greenback to carry essential packages and providers out into our group.
We applaud Guam’s psychological well being professionals for the progress they’re making — not simply on the public company stage, however for the work and partnerships they interact in with these within the Guam Division of Schooling and different group organizations.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero in a information launch said that, “Supporting psychological well being is a important public well being want, and the most effective methods we are able to do that’s to make it as simple as attainable for folks to get the assistance they want after they want it.”
We urge everybody in our group to study extra concerning the providers supplied by the Guam Behavioral Well being and Wellness Middle and to unfold the phrase about getting the help from Guam’s new Lifeline Middle.
Name 988 for psychological well being disaster help and suicide prevention.
