The COVID-19 pandemic has lingered throughout the United States for the past five months, and during that time several individuals have experienced isolation, stress, depression, frustration and uncertainty about what’s around the next corner.

If you’ve felt that way and need someone to talk to, the Center for Life Resources is here to help. In an interview on KOXE Wednesday morning, Jonathan Harvey and Katie Snyder of the Center for Life Resources spoke about a COVID-19 mental health support line.

“The state has released a COVID mental health support line, so if you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed or maybe need help talking to your kids about this as they go back to school, there’s a support line at the state level you can call to be able to talk to someone about that or be able to better deal with the symptoms or the stress of what you’re going through,” Harvey said. “In addition to the support line through the state, what they wanted to do was give you local response.”

Snyder is the local crisis counselor and works out of the Community Connections of Central Texas building, located at 901 Avenue B, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The number for local COVID mental health support is 325-646-5939 ext. 104 or you can email [email protected].

“We’re answering those local lines,” Snyder said. “We’re here to listen, talk about some coping strategies, and give some resources for a variety of things that COVID-19 has affected, whether it be someone in your family that has tested positive, or you’re just nervous about all the things opening back up. We’re here to listen and help in that process and walk one step a time with you because I know we’re taking one day at a time for sure with all these changes.”

Harvey added, “The state is also encouraging us, which is something we’re looking at right now, to start up virtual support groups. We want to try to make sure that everybody feels in this together and that we can get through this together.”

The state COVID-19 mental health support line, which is available 24 hours a day, is 1-833-986-1919.

“If you want to talk someone local they can route us a referral and we can get to you that way as well,” Harvey said. “We welcome your emails and local calls as well.”

The Center for Life Resources is also celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2020. A celebration was planned for earlier in the year before the COVID-19 outbreak. There are still plans to commemorate the milestone later this year.

“Once things start opening up I think we will have something a little more formal. We are excited, it’s our 50th year,” Harvey said. “The agency has been here and still is here and we still are getting a lot of calls. I would say we probably do no less than 25 mental health screenings throughout the week if not more. The help is still here, people still need it and we’re proud to still be here.”

Harvey also spoke about his almost 12 years at the Center for Life Resources.

“I was privileged to work with a few people that were there around that same time (of the opening),” Harvey said. “We are all assigned employee numbers when we start and I was privileged to work with someone whose employee number was 4. Mine is 2,806, so that tells you a lot of people have come in and out. He had tons of stories about being here when we opened and bag phones and working out of his trunk and all kind of fun things.”