National Sleep Awareness Week And Mental Health

WACO, TX—National Sleep Awareness Week will run March 14 through March 21, 2021.  For many people, COVID-19 has further impacted their mental wellness, and this is where #TexansRecoveringTogether can offer support for the mind.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mental health is an essential part of overall health, as well as a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being.

“Approximately 1 in 4 Americans of the U.S. population suffer from depression due to lack of sleep. Our data indicates that approximately 10% of our Central Texas consumers are struggling with sleep and find themselves experiencing higher levels of stress and depression due to COVID-19, coupled with the winter storm in February,” said Tanya Ledesma, Media Liaison for Texans Recovering Together Crisis Counseling Program.

#TexansRecoveringTogether celebrates National Sleep Awareness Week, offering virtual and telecommunication mental health and emotional support through the CCP webpage for its six-county catchment area of McLennan, Bosque, Hill, Falls, Limestone, and Freestone counties. Our toll-free number is (866) 576-1101. 

#TexansRecoveringTogether is a program funded through a short-term relief grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. It uses a strength-based, outreach approach that utilizes crisis counselors to meet individuals or groups in non-traditional and virtual settings in the community to promote resilience, empowerment, and recovery. Counselors can also help people identify and access their resources, as well as community resources to help residents cope with this unprecedented disaster.

Crisis counselors and community liaisons can be found throughout the community:

  • Offering individual mental health and emotional support to Central Texans
  • Offering group mental health and emotional support at the Salvation Army of Waco Sally’s House
  • Volunteering in preparing and distributing meals at the First United Methodist Church in Mart, TX and Caritas Waco
  • Interacting with community members in COVID-19 testing sights and vaccination clinics
  • Preparing and facilitating public education presentations on, “Intentionally Improving Life During COVID-19 Through Self-care” and “Grit: Passion + Perseverance”

Since October 1, 2020, #TexansRecoveringTogether has provided more than 9,100 primary individual and group COVID-19 mental health support services. Services are available toll-free at (866) 576-1101 or visit the website at www.trthotccp.org.

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