IF YOU NEED HELP:
The 211 InfoLine is administered by United Way of Connecticut. It's a suicide
and crisis line with links to all adult and child crisis units and also provides
information and referrals, including on mental health and grief counseling. The
211 call specialists are all trained to make appropriate referrals, and staffing
has been increased since Friday's shootings. Call 211 or 1-800-203-1234.
The State Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
(DMHAS) at
http://www.ct.gov/dmhas has a 24-hour crisis link to service providers town
by town. However, spokesman James Siemianowski recommends people call 211 first
for information on mental health issues and crisis care. "That's the primary
place to call."
DMHAS also sponsors theNetwork of Care website at
http://connecticut.networkofcare.org/mh/with links to a broad variety of
topics, including "Helping Children Deal With Tragedies: In Response to
Connecticut School Shooting," with information on what parents should talk about
with children, behavioral signs to watch for in children, and other resources.
Newtown Youth & Family Services,15 Berkshire Road, Sandy Hook, has been providing emergency counseling for families, community members and staff involved in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. No appointment is necessary; walk-ins are welcome. Call 203-270-4335 or go to http://www.newtownyouthandfamilyservices.org/.
The Wheeler Clinic in Plainville collaborates with DMHAS and the state Department of Children and Families (DCF) on the Connecticut Clearinghouse program, offering youth suicide prevention services and offering web resources on topics such as parenting and stress. https://www.ctclearinghouse.org/Default.asp
The Danbury office of theWestern Connecticut Mental Health Network
(part of DMHAS) provides mental health services in the Greater Danbury area. The
office is at 78 Triangle St., Building I-4 in Danbury. Call 203-448-3200.
Family and Children's Aid in Danbury is working on crisis response in
conjunction with Danbury Hospital Behavioral Health. Through its Child Guidance
Clinic, Family and Children's Aid offers child psychiatric services and in-home
therapy. Call 203-748-5689 or go to
http://www.fcaweb.org/.
Wellmore Behavioral Health, based in Waterbury and with offices in Danbury and elsewhere, has been providing crisis services, referrals and grief counseling to any families affected by the shootings. Call 203-574-9000 or go to http://wellmore.org/. For Child & Adolescent Services, call 203-756-7287 or 1-855-WELLMORE. For Adult Services, call 203-755-1143.
The Connecticut chapter of the American Red Cross at http://www.redcross.org/find-help/disaster-recovery/recovering-emotionally offers resources in a variety of languages on taking care of yourself emotionally and on helping children cope with disaster.
Mental Health Association of Connecticutat 61 Main St. in West Hartford provides crisis information and helps people in need of mental health professionals. Call 1-800-842-1501 or 860-529-1970 or go to http://www.mhact.org/.
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Connecticut is making its Employee Assistance Program (EAP) resources available to anyone who needs help coping with the Newtown shootings. Resources include telephone-based counseling, online resources focused on dealing with grief, and help finding needed services. Call 1-877-208-8240 or go to http://www.anthemeap.com/, and use the login name "Newtown."
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).
National Hopeline Network: 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)