Finding Hope and Help: The Harris Center for Mental Health

Crisis Intervention and Support

• 📞 The Harris Center fields nearly 300,000 calls annually on its crisis lines, including the 24/7 line at 713-970-7000 and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
• 🎯 Crisis specialists, like Tiffany Bitner, director of suicide care initiatives, help individuals who have hit rock bottom and are seeking assistance.
• 📈 Statistics show a rising rate of mental health crises among minority groups and a high rate of suicide in the older population, often linked to loneliness.

Evidence-Based Interventions

• ✍️ Journaling and writing are encouraged as evidence-based interventions in suicide care and mental health.
• 🧠 The center provides access to specific items and resources that individuals can use to aid their recovery.

Personal Journeys of Recovery

• 💔 Leslie Hooper shares her story of attempting suicide and finding hope through the Harris Center after a three-week hospital stay, including three days in a coma.
• ✅ Through working with a psychiatrist, therapist, and peer specialist, Leslie was able to find love for herself and regain hope.
• 🚀 Inspired by her own recovery, Leslie now works for the Harris Center's zero suicide initiative, aiming to help others find the same support she received.

Accessing Free Mental Health Services

• 🌐 People can access services through the Harris Center's website (harriscenter.org) or by calling 988.
• 🏠 Services include outpatient care, and some can even be provided at home, emphasizing that free help is available and ready to be used.
• 💬 The message is clear: reach out, speak up, and know that you are not alone; silence is a killer, and someone is always willing to listen.