In the wake of the mass shooting in Lewiston that left at least 18 people dead, mental health providers in the state are encouraging Mainers to reach out for support and are mobilising to make more help available.
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services said anyone in need of immediate support should call or test 988, the statewide suicide and behavioural health crisis line.
Teens and young adults can text 207-515-8398. That’s the National Alliance on Mental Illness Teen Text Line, which is staffed from noon to 10 p.m. daily.
Gateway Community Services, a counselling and behavioural health provider with an office in Lewiston, is putting out a call for licensed mental health professionals to volunteer on a temporary basis.
“Once we have people who are willing and have signed up,” said Gateway CEO Abdullahi Ali, “and we’ve checked their backgrounds, then we’ll match [them] with people who are looking for help.”
For providers who want to volunteer, Gateway has posted a QR code with a sign-up link on its Facebook page.
Ali said that once the shelter-in-place order is lifted, he hopes the community can come together to support each other in person.
