Where to Turn, How to Cope: Some Resources
In these unsettling times we find ourselves in, there has been an explosion of online sources offering information and help for coping, practically and emotionally, with the challenges we are facing. So many helping resources are out there that trying to figure out where to start can be overwhelming. Below is a short list of free resources for help with mental health crises and unmet basic needs.
Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. This is a 24/7 national hotline that connects callers to a network of local crisis centers.
Local (Howard County, MD) Resources for Food, Housing, and Other Basic Needs
Howard County Community Action Council
This link goes to their Get Help page, which includes information on securing energy, housing, and food assistance.
Grassroots Crisis Intervention
Grassroots, located in Columbia, MD, provides crisis intervention and shelter services for those in need. They operate a 24/7 crisis hotline (410-531- 6677) and a mobile crisis team.
Hopeworks of Howard County
Hopeworks provides help for those experiencing domestic violence. Their 24/7 helpline is 410-997-2272.
Resources to Support Emotional Coping and Resilience
Healthy Minds
This is a smartphone app providing a course of mindfulness meditations, with both instruction/informational and practice modules. Available via the Apple App store or Google Play. Includes longer meditations as well as one-minute meditations for moments when you need a quick recharge.
Science of Well-being course
This is a (now) free online course from Yale University: The Science of Well-being. First offered at Yale in 2018, it quickly became the most sought-after undergraduate course there, a kind of hybrid course that both informed students about relevant psychological science (traditional educational purpose), and demonstrated how to apply the science in their own lives (personal development purpose).
Other Websites that May Be of Interest:
Maryland Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
National Eating Disorders Association
American Academy of Sleep Medicine: Healthy Sleep Habits
Maryland Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
National Eating Disorders Association
American Academy of Sleep Medicine: Healthy Sleep Habits