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Awareness of mental health challenges has been increasing at the local, state, and national levels. Efforts focus on ensuring folks who need to talk to someone during a mental health emergency can access the help they need.

Nationally, on Oct 17th, President Trump signed a bipartisan bill (S.2661) to create a new national hotline. The FCC already allocated 988 as the number, to replace a 10-digit phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL). The new law also created a fee that a state may levy to support the hotline, similar to how the current 911 system works.

The bill mandates a July 16th, 2022 deadline for phone companies to enable the new service. Meanwhile, there are existing resources people have access to, including Broward County’s 2-1-1 Broward https://2-1-1-broward.org.

2-1-1 Broward has been a local non- profit resource for people who need to talk to someone since it was founded in 1995. Their mission statement is to provide a “24-hour comprehensive helpline, providing all people with crisis, health, and human services support and connecting them to resources in our community.”

For the past 6 years, 2-1-1 Broward has averaged 116,000 incoming calls a year. Since April 2020, 2-1-1 Broward has seen a steady increase of calls, up 82 percent in September.

The most common calls are related to COVID-19 services, basic needs (food, clothing), hospitalization, financial, and mental health services.

According to 2-1-1 Broward, some of the callers simply need listening support to de-escalate their situation.

The non- profit organization provides referrals to other professionals such as counseling, telehealth, crisis centers, support groups, family counseling, trauma-informed care, etc.

Due to COVID-19, 2-1-1 Broward has evolved to continue to service the community. The call center is fully remote for the safety of their workers. The resource database has been expanded to cover COVID-19 related responses. Additional staff is trained and hired to provide for Broward residents.

2-1-1 Broward is also nationally affiliated with Lifeline, which operates the national 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Calls from Broward to the national hotline are routed to 2-1-1 Broward. They also participate in many national programs, such as the Ride United Last-Mile Delivery program where, since April 2020, over 75,000 meals have been delivered across Broward County. The program aims to deliver food and supplies to vulnerable populations as a response to COVID-19.

You can find out more at their website: https://2-1-1-broward.org.

The formation of the United States of America began with an idea. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed. The problem with implementing ideas is that humans are flawed. Even the best among us are not perfect, and therefore we can only hope to work towards perfection. The founders knew this. They knew they had written a document that contradicted the owning of slaves. Fourteen prominent founding fathers owned slaves, seven did not. As a group, however, they believed that the liberty and independence of the United States was the larger goal at the time.

The Constitution was signed September 17, 1787. “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, to ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” In Order to form a more perfect Union, the Founders were admitting that they, and this country, were not perfect. A great deal of work still needed to be done.

The Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 freed many slaves, but it wasn’t until the Thirteenth Amendment, adopted December 18, 1865, that slavery and involuntary servitude were abolished (except as a punishment for a crime). Ever so slowly, steps continued to be taken towards the idea that is the foundation of this country, equality. Initially introduced to Congress in 1878, a (white) women’s suffrage amendment was officially adopted on August 26, 1920. This was the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution.

In August 1892, one of the original Pledges of Allegiance was composed by Francis Bellamy: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” “…He had initially also considered using the words equality and fraternity, but decided against it, knowing that the state superintendents of education on his committee were against equality for women and African Americans.” Per Dr. John Baer in his book, The Pledge of Allegiance: A Short History.

June 22, 1942 saw the Pledge changed to “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” “Under God” was added on June 14, 1954.

The Civil Rights Act was enacted on July 2, 1964. As Americans we must work together to continue to bring the founders’ idea to fruition. All are created equal, with liberty and justice for all. As human beings we may never achieve perfection, but as Americans our ambition is to always keep working to “create a more perfect Union”.

On this Independence Day, let us truly reflect on the history of this country we love. Let us think about the things we are able to do, no matter how small, to make things better, and to continue working towards the original foundational idea of equality. Let us listen and open our hearts with love to our fellow Americans who don’t look like us, love like us, or worship like us.

We MUST do these things “not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because the challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win…” President John F. Kennedy, Sept. 12, 1962.

By Sheryl Dunn, Publisher

Tag: national

Mental health hotline mandated

Still pursuing a ‘perfect union’