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The home for VPR's coverage of health and health industry issues affecting the state of Vermont.

Vermonters In Mental Health Crisis Can Now Text For Support

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Text the initials "VT" to the number 741741 and a trained crisis counselor will respond within 5 minutes.

Vermonters have a new way of reaching help when they are having a mental health crisis: the Crisis Text Line. People can text the initials "VT" to the number 741741 and a trained crisis counselor will respond within 5 minutes.

Melissa Bailey, deputy commissioner of the Vermont Department of Mental Health, says the service was intended for young people, but a wider diversity of age groups have used it.

"There are different cadres of people that are really interested in communicating via text," Bailey told Vermont Edition on Thursday. "It feels like it's a quick, nonthreatening way to communicate about something that you're struggling with."

The counselor who responds will help determine if the individual is at imminent risk and can send emergency rescue services to the person's location.

The trained counselors are not therapists, and the crisis line is answered out of state.

Listen to the full interview from Vermont Edition above.

Patti is an integral part of VPR's news effort and part of the team that created Vermont Edition. As executive producer, Patti supervises the team that puts Vermont Edition on the air every day, working with producers to select and research show ideas, select guests and develop the sound and tone of the program.
Jane Lindholm is the host, executive producer and creator of But Why: A Podcast For Curious Kids. In addition to her work on our international kids show, she produces special projects for Vermont Public. Until March 2021, she was host and editor of the award-winning Vermont Public program Vermont Edition.
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