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Thousands of children in the Houston region lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19, and even more kids are struggling with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues in the pandemic’s wake.
While many school districts and nonprofits are straining to serve students’ needs, resources are available to children throughout Greater Houston. Here are some points of contact and organizations that can help your children with their mental health.
Contacts in Greater Houston’s 10 largest districts
Houston: Sean Ricks, senior manager of HISD’s crisis intervention team, is a good starting point for parents and guardians who need help navigating situations with their children. Ricks can be reached via email at [email protected], or parents can reach out to the district’s crisis line by phone at 713-923-8597. For more information on HISD’s Crisis Intervention resources, click here.
HISD also opened seven Sunrise Centers across Houston to help serve families in the district. HISD partners with existing community organizations to offer food pantries, clothing closets, mental health services and telehealth medical services.
There are three ways to access a center: walking into a center for services, filling out an intake form here or connecting with a staff member at your student’s school. For general information about the centers, email [email protected] or call 713-556-8484. For maps and contact information for each center, click here.
Fort Bend: Parents and guardians with students at Fort Bend Independent School District can reach out to Priti Avantsa, coordinator of Mental Health and Social Work Services, via email at [email protected] or by phone at 281-634-4430. For more information on Fort Bend’s behavioral health and wellness department, click here.
Alief: If an Alief Independent School District parent or guardian needs help, a good starting point is to reach out to Alvia Baldwin, director of Guidance and Counseling, via email at [email protected] or by phone at 281-498-8110. For more information about Alief ISD’s guidance and counseling resources, click here.
Additional districts: Humble, Conroe, Klein, Katy and Cypress-Fairbanks independent school districts prefer making connections at the campus level. Each district recommended parents and guardians reach out to their student’s school counselor for help. School counselors can provide referrals to external professionals if extra support is needed. Aldine and Pasadena independent school districts, which round out the Houston area’s 10 largest districts, did not respond to comment.
Free or low-cost resources outside of school
- Some school districts offer Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT), which allows children and teens to access telemedicine and telehealth programs. Parents can check with their student’s school counselor to see if their district has partnered with TCHATT.
- Additionally, the Lucine Center for Trauma and Grief is an online, teletherapy option. The services are free of charge and last about 8 to 24 weeks or longer. The center also offers services in Spanish.
- The National 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides services 24/7 via phone call, text and online chat service. Children, parents and guardians can dial 988 on any phone to speak with a crisis counselor. The lifeline offers services in over 240 languages. For more information, click here.
- The Trevor Project aims to prevent suicide among LGBTQ+ youth. If someone is feeling hopeless, contact the organization via its 24/7 lifeline at 866-488-7386, chat online here, or text START to 678-678.
- The Harris Center for Mental Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities offers various services and programs for children. You can reach out to the Harris Center Patient Access Line at 713-970-7000 to schedule an appointment or get more information. You can also call the number 24/7 if you are in crisis. The center also offers an emotional support text service allowing people to text 832-479-2135 and chat with an agent, when available.
- The National Alliance on Mental Illness Greater Houston offers various services to educate people about mental health. The organization conducts in-person and virtual classes, and it offers a phone line for individuals to reach out and speak with a trained volunteer who also has faced mental health challenges. The phone line is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at 713-970-4483. It also provides family support group services throughout Greater Houston. For more information, click here.
- YES to YOUTH Montgomery County Youth Services is a nonprofit organization that aims to improve emotional and mental health development for families. It offers free crisis intervention, counseling and suicide prevention services. The organization has six locations across Montgomery County. For a list of contact information for each location, click here. It also offers a 24-hour crisis intervention hotline at 888-756-8682.
- Family Houston is a nonprofit organization focused on supporting families facing mental health, financial, relationship and other challenges. The organization provides mental health services to children starting at age 3. Licensed therapists can provide treatment for grief, depression, behavioral issues and more. To make an appointment, call 713-861-4849.
- Harris County Precinct 2 has a Acesss2Health Mental Health Smart Pod available for children and adults to speak to a mental health professional virtually or in person. Call 713-874-6590 to schedule an appointment for school-aged children and teenagers. Adults can call 713-970-8700 to schedule an appointment for themselves. The pod is located on the county’s north side at 10918 Bentley Street, Houston, TX, 77093.
This list is not an exhaustive accounting of all youth mental health resources in Greater Houston. If you would like your organization added to this list, please email [email protected].
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