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If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text one of the hotlines below. Counselors and intake specialists are available to offer free, confidential support whenever you need it.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, it is important to seek help immediately. No matter if you’re struggling with depression, substance use, relationship problems or family turmoil, free and confidential support is available. You are not alone and talking to someone could help save a life.

Learn what you can do to support your friends, family and classmates who are hurting. Suicide is a leading cause of death for adolescents ages 10 to 24 and an unfortunate reality in our community. Together, we can help prevent teen suicide. Call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 if you need immediate assistance.

Unfortunately, more than two-thirds of children have been exposed to domestic violence by the age of 17. Witnessing violence can have long-term impacts on these adolescents, putting them at higher risk for substance use, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior and even further domestic violence. Find resources to help prevent violence in the home and support young people experiencing domestic violence in Stark County.

According to RAINN, every 98 seconds, someone experiences sexual assault. This could include actions such as harassment, rape or sexual violence. For a young person who has suffered sexual abuse, the effects can be long lasting, leading to physical, emotional and psychological harm. Find rape crisis services and sexual abuse support groups available in Stark County.

While Stark County has made significant progress in addressing and preventing child exploitation, there are still children working in hazardous conditions, illegally and for low or no wages. Find resources to report child labor and support services for affected children.

Bullying among adolescents can take many forms. As children get older, how they bully becomes more sophisticated and harder to identify. In addition to taunting, threats or physical attacks, the rise of social media has introduced another category of bullying – cyberbullying. As teens have more and more access to social media, gaming and the internet, bullies use these platforms to harass and humiliate others. Find programs and resources in Stark County to help support young people who are affected by bullying.

Young people between the ages of 18 and 25 can face significant obstacles as they move toward independent living. Whether you are aging out of foster care or struggling to achieve self-sufficiency with limited resources, you are not alone and help is available. Get started with local resources for basic needs and emotional support.

In recent years, heroin use has been on the rise across the nation, throughout Ohio and in Stark County. According to Stark County Mental Health & Addiction Recovery (StarkMHAR), 1,444 members of our community were treated for opiate use in 2016 – nearly six times the number treated 10 years earlier. Find resources and programs to help raise awareness, educate the community and combat this growing epidemic.

Emergency shelter space is limited in Stark County and reserved for people with nowhere else safe and appropriate to stay. Seeking any available safe housing, even if temporary, while connecting to other desired housing assistance may need to be considered. Questions to explore:

1. Where did you stay last night? Is it safe for you? If so, is there something that would allow you to stay there again tonight? (food, utility support,

In 2023, 2-1-1, Stark County’s helpline, transitioned to StarkHelpCentral.com. 

Closing the Stark County information system and online database—that was run by United Way of Greater Stark County—and moving resources to StarkHelpCentral.com helps streamline the process for community members looking for resources and information.  

StarkHelpCentral.com can help you find community resources available to you and your family. The searchable community resource website is supported by Stark County Mental Health & Addiction Recovery (StarkMHAR),

The transition to adulthood is a time of significant changes and challenges. As you seek full-time employment, experience changes in your relationships and move toward independent living, life can feel overwhelming. No matter why you are hurting, it is important to remember you are not alone. Find mental health service providers and emotional support resources for young adults in Stark County. Call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 if you need immediate assistance.

Mental Health Awareness Month is observed every May in the United States. It’s a time to recognize that our mental health is part of our overall health, fight stigmas surrounding mental health issues, learn about various issues and policies, and more. Whether or not you are personally dealing with a mental health issue, it is important to find ways to participate in Mental Health Awareness Month.

Here are four Mental Health Awareness Month tips so you can participate and support those around you.

The UK organization LifeSIGNS started dedicating March 1st as Self Injury Awareness Day in 2002. Now, 20 years later, it is a national awareness day for many countries, including the U.S. Self-injury goes by other names, including self-harm and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and encompasses a large range of actions that one takes to cope with extreme emotion, release tension from these emotions, or take back a perceived loss of control. While teens tend to be the most likely to self-injure,

When families are dealing with a financial crisis, children are impacted whether we realize it or not. Most everyone in Stark County experiences the practical and emotional impacts of money troubles at one point or another, and it can be helpful to open up an honest dialogue with the entire household about the challenges. Talking about hardships could help children cope and even bring families closer.

Although financial challenges affect everyone, they can still take a major toll when they hit close to home.

Young children need proper nutrition and medical care in order to grow, develop and thrive. When a household is in financial crisis, it can have serious, long-term health, social and behavioral implications throughout their lives. Fortunately, families in Stark County are not alone in facing these challenges. There are local agencies dedicated to providing food, clothing, shelter and cash assistance to those who are experiencing hard times.

Even parents who are employed with steady incomes may struggle to make ends meet when they have child.

This year, we’ve faced a pandemic unlike anything in our lifetimes. As we get closer to a vaccine for coronavirus, many people in Stark County are still feeling the stressful effects. Fortunately, the stress response is normal during a crisis.

Are you looking for ways to manage feelings of stress and anxiety? Here are some common questions we have received related to mental health, coping with COVID-19 in the community, and an overall stressful year.

As the opioid crisis in Northeast Ohio continued to grow, the Stark County Opiate & Addiction Task Force was created in 2011 to help educate the community and provide necessary resources on opioids. In 2014, Project DAWN (Deaths Avoided With Naloxone) was created by the Ohio Health Department to bring together educational and naloxone distribution programs during the opioid epidemic. In order to prevent opioid overdose and to further harm reduction strategies, these organizations provide free overdose kits for anyone in Ohio who wants one.

Despite all the information available about anxiety, depression, addiction and other mental health issues, many misconceptions persist.

Mental health misconceptions can be dangerous when they keep people from getting the treatment they need. Let’s talk about mental health issues and learn to separate fact from fiction. What are some common misconceptions about mental health?

Mental health issues are uncommon,

Sometimes you might hear the terms mental wellness or mental health and think they mean the same thing. While they are connected, they actually mean two different things. What the difference?  Mental Wellness is your overall mental wellbeing, and everyone has it! Mental wellness is when people can recognize their abilities, cope with typical stress, work and function well.  In order to be mentally well, we have to take care of our minds just like we do the rest of our body.

Do you roll your eyes when you hear the words ‘self care’? Yeah, me too, and we are hearing it now more often than ever. For 20 years much of our community’s training emphasis has been on understanding both the devastation of trauma and the healing power of Resilience. Who knew that, unknowingly, we were preparing ourselves for 2020 – when our entire world would
experience a collective and ongoing traumatic pandemic.

The stability and predictability that had structured our lives?