The state of Tennessee has added a new method for people to reach out for help in dealing with the stress they have experienced from working through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tennessee’s Emotional Support Line for Pandemic Stress, which has been operational and accepting phone calls since May 2020, now has the capability of offering free and confidential assistance through text messaging.
Healthcare workers, first responders, and all Tennesseans working in education, including teachers, support staff, and district and school administrators, who are dealing with feelings of stress, anxiety, sadness, or depression related to work, can now call or text the Emotional Support Line at 888-642-7886, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. CST. Calls and texts will be answered by one of many mental health professionals who will provide support through active listening, helping to identify and address basic needs, and who will direct users to tools for managing stress and help them create a manageable plan for self-care.
“Throughout this pandemic, we’ve seen self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression at double the rate we’d expect in normal times, and we know this crisis has been much harder on our essential worker,” Marie Williams, LCSW, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, said. “We’re hopeful that this new text message capability will remove some of the stigma of asking for help and encourage more people to reach out.”
While at its creation, the help line was created as a resource for healthcare workers and first responders but was expanded to offer services to any Tennessean working in education who were also feeling overwhelmed by the many difficulties and risks they were experiencing while attempting to educate students through a global pandemic.
“District and school leaders, staff, and educators continue to face significant challenges due to COVID-19, and this new feature provides the opportunity for easier access to much-needed mental health resources,” Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn, said. “We are grateful to our state partners for continuing this critical support and providing additional access to free and confidential mental health services for our front line workers, including the classroom heroes who are educating our children.”
“This last year has caused an increase in stress, anxiety, and depression for many, but this is especially true for healthcare workers and teachers,” Marcie Kinnard, White County school district’s coordinated health supervisor, said.
Kinnard said teachers have been working tirelessly to provide both in person and online teaching at the same time, and stress related health issues are a true concern right now.
“They have done a phenomenal job at getting this done, but teachers need to remember to take care of themselves, too,” she said. “If a teacher or healthcare worker is experiencing headaches, fatigue, trouble sleeping, or muscle tension and pain, he or she may be experiencing higher levels of stress.”
Kinnard said stress affects the body in many ways and can contribute to heart disease, obesity, diabetes, asthma, and depression, among other things. She recommended ensuring that regular exercise, a balanced diet, and plenty of sleep are a part of every day and indicated that, while it may sound simple, these first steps to managing stress should not be ignored. She also praised the state and offered gratitude for the Emotional Support Line.
“The emotional support line through the state’s behavioral health department allows teachers and healthcare workers to call or text to reach out for help,” Kinnard said. “It is my hope that our teachers will attend to their own mental health so that they can continue to provide the quality education they are known for.”
The timing for the addition of text-services for the state’s emotional support line coincides with Stress Awareness Month, which is recognized in April each year.
“Unprecedented is a word that’s overused these days, but it really fits for the kinds of stresses confronting us during the pandemic.” Cathryn Yarbrough, PhD, MHART board member, said. “As one of the first to staff the MHART Emotional Support Line, I was struck by how challenging it is to face things never faced before in this generation. I also was encouraged to see how people often only needed that brief telephone contact to center themselves and identify a way forward. The addition of text capacity will make this valuable service even easier for those in need of immediate support.”
Kinnard said she is encouraged by the availability of help being offered to educators.
“Mental health is so important, and we have to find a way to break the stigma that surrounds asking for help,” she said. “It is my hope that through this support line we will see an increase in those willing to be brave and say, ‘I’m not okay, I need some help.’ We all need help every once in a while. Please don’t be afraid to ask for it.”
For more information on the Emotional Support Line for Pandemic Stress, visit TN.gov/behavioral-health/emotional-support
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