Resources to help Georgia Disaster Survivors Deal with Stress and Worry

Thursday, March 27 marked six months since Hurricane Helene struck Georgia, bringing destruction and disrupting the lives of millions of people across the state.

Disaster anniversaries can bring up painful memories and cause feelings of anxiety, fear, anger and hopelessness. Survivors may also have nightmares or experience flashbacks or depression. 

FEMA encourages survivors to use these resources to help you get the support you need.  

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Disaster Distress Hotline 

The toll-free, confidential multilingual Disaster Distress Helpline is open to anyone experiencing emotional distress related to disasters. This includes survivors of disasters; loved ones of victims; first responders; rescue, recovery, and relief workers; clergy; and parents and caregivers. You may call for yourself or on behalf of someone else 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

• Call 800-985-5990, visit samhsa.gov/ or text TalkWithUs for English or Hablanos for Spanish to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor. 

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

People can speak with a trained crisis counselor any time of day or night by calling or texting 988 or by visiting 988lifeline.org.

Crisis Text Line

The Crisis Text Line serves anyone, in any type of crisis, and provides access to free help, 24/7. Connect with a trained Crisis Text Line crisis counselor by texting HOME to 741741. The service can be accessed by text, chat or on WhatsApp. Visit crisistextline.org/ to learn more.

National Alliance on Mental Illness

The NAMI Helpline is a free, nationwide peer-support service providing information, resource referrals and support to people living with a mental health condition, their family members and caregivers, mental health providers and the public. HelpLine staff and volunteers are experienced, well-trained and able to provide guidance. You can connect with a HelpLine Specialist by phone: 800-950-NAMI (6264). You can also text HelpLine to 62640 or via chat at Chat with Us.

Georgia Resources 

The Georgia Crisis & Access Line (GCAL) is a service of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. The line is staffed 24/7 by counselors who can connect callers with outpatient services, mobile crisis help, detoxification services, stabilization and more. GCAL is available to all Georgians.

GCAL dispatches 24/7 Mobile Crisis Services to 159 counties in Georgia. This service sends a mental health professional to the home to assess people with urgent psychiatric needs. You may call on behalf of another person who needs help. The call center operates 24/7 and can screen and assess callers for intensity of service response.

You can reach the line by calling 800-715-5225. Telephone interpreting services are provided to callers with limited English proficiency.

Visit Georgia Collaborative to learn more.