Baptist Health and Wolfson Children’s introduce free, 24/7 Crisis Text Line for all ages

Press Release
March 25, 2022

Mental health support is now at your fingertips

Jacksonville, Fla., March 22, 2022 – To address the growing need for accessible mental health resources, Baptist Health and Wolfson Children’s Hospital are collaborating with Crisis Text Line, the nation’s largest text-based crisis-intervention service, to ensure mental health support is only a text away.

Crisis Text Line is guided by a vision for an empathetic world where no one feels alone. Individuals of all ages facing mental health struggles can text LIFE to 741741 to connect with a live, trained Crisis Counselor and receive confidential support – 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Counselors are trained in active listening, collaborative problem solving and safety planning to help texters navigate difficult emotions.

“COVID-19 continues to have countless negative effects on the mental health of adults, teens and children, and we are committed to finding new, innovative ways to better serve our community,” said Terrie Andrews, PhD, vice president of Baptist and Wolfson Children’s Behavioral Health. “In a focus group with local teens, we found they preferred texting for help over calling because it was easier to express their feelings. Crisis Text Line is not only an accessible option for those in need, but it’s also an approachable one, broadening our reach and helping us prevent future crises from happening.”

Since its launch in 2013, Crisis Text Line reports it has answered more than six million texts, with 75% coming from those under the age of 25.

Crisis Text Line is only the latest tool Baptist Health and Wolfson Children’s are using to boost mental wellness, prevent crises and champion the lifelong well-being of residents of Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia.

Adults, teens and kids can also call the Baptist Health 24-Hour Crisis Hotline or Wolfson Children’s Kids & Teens Helplineat 904.202.7900 to connect with a trained mental health expert and receive emergency telephone support and assessment, crisis stabilization information and referral to follow-up care, if needed.

For parents, educators, health care providers and other concerned adults interested in starting conversations about mental health with kids and teens, Wolfson Children’s offers free, evidence-based educational tools and resources through On Our Sleeves, a national movement to break stigmas and promote wellness. To view resources or sign up for the monthly e-newsletter, visit WolfsonChildrens.com/OnOurSleeves.

About Baptist Health
Baptist Health is a faith-based, mission-driven system in Northeast Florida comprised of Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville; Baptist Medical Center Beaches; Baptist Medical Center Nassau; Baptist Medical Center South and Wolfson Children’s Hospital – the region’s only children’s hospital. All Baptist Health hospitals have achieved Magnet™ status for excellence in patient care. Baptist Health is part of Coastal Community Health, a highly integrated regional hospital network focused on significant initiatives designed to enhance the quality and value of care provided to our contiguous communities. Baptist Health has the area’s only dedicated heart hospital; orthopedic institute; women’s services; neurological institute, including comprehensive neurosurgical services, a comprehensive stroke center and two primary stroke centers; a Bariatric Center of Excellence; a full range of psychology and psychiatry services; urgent care services; primary and specialty care physicians’ offices throughout Northeast Florida; and Baptist Home Health Care by BAYADA. The Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center is a regional destination for multidisciplinary cancer care, which is clinically integrated with the MD Anderson Cancer Center, the internationally renowned cancer treatment and research institution in Houston. For more details, visit baptistjax.com.

About Wolfson Childrens Hospital of Jacksonville
Wolfson Childrens Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, is a part of Baptist Health, Northeast Florida’s most comprehensive health system serving every stage of life. Wolfson Children’s is the only children’s hospital in Northeast Florida and serves as the pediatric referral center for North Florida, South Georgia and beyond. Staffed 24/7 by pediatric nurses and other healthcare professionals specially trained to work with children, the 216-bed, patient- and family-centered hospital features the latest pediatric medical technology in a welcoming, child-friendly environment. At Wolfson Children’s, nationally recognized pediatric specialists representing nearly every medical and surgical specialty work with pediatricians to provide care for children of all ages with congenital heart conditions, cancer, neurological disorders, diabetes and endocrinology disorders, orthopedic conditions, behavioral health conditions, traumatic injuries, and more. Wolfson Children’s pediatric institutional partners include Nemours Childrens Specialty Care, Jacksonville, UPMC Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh, the University of Florida College of Medicine — Jacksonville and  Mayo Clinic Florida. A Magnet™-designated hospital since 2010, Wolfson Children’s Hospital has been named among the U.S. News & World Report 50 Best Children’s Hospitals year after year, and in 2021, was selected as one of only 8 children’s hospitals in the country as a Leapfrog Top Children’s Hospital, a recognition of patient quality and safety. For additional information, please visit wolfsonchildrens.com.