Latest shooting sparks more concern about mental health

HOUSTON – When tragedies like the school shooting in Nashville happen, the conversation shifts to mental health struggles.

Dr. Melanie Sommerville from the J. Flowers Health Institute said society needs to better support mental healthcare help to change and recognize patterns.

“Mental health is in a crisis situation in our country. I think COVID helped illuminate how precarious some of our mental health is in our country and how precarious the services are. I don’t think we pay enough attention as a culture, as a society, to maintaining mental health, to meet, assessing mental health, to helping people with mental health challenges,” Dr. Sommerville said.

She said if you notice someone is in crisis, start talking to doctors, counselors, and county MHAR. You can reach out to them even on behalf of someone else.

• RELATED: Harris County introduces $14.3 million initiative aimed at combating growing mental health crisis

How to get help:

• Call this suicide hotline, from anywhere in the country, if you’re in a crisis: 9-8-8 or text
• The Harris Center for Mental Health has a local crisis hotline: 713-970-7000
• NAMI also has a “warm line” for those in need of mental health guidance, not in crisis: 713-970-4483
• Harris‌ ‌County‌ ‌‌Sheriff’s‌ ‌Dept‌ ‌Crisis‌ ‌: (713)‌ ‌221-6000‌ ‌
• Fort‌ ‌Bend ‌: (800)‌ ‌633-5686‌‌ ‌
• Montgomery‌ ‌County‌ :‌ ‌1-800-659-6994‌ ‌
• Para‌ ‌llamadas‌ ‌en‌ ‌‌Espanol‌:‌ ‌‌1-888-628-9454‌ ‌