How to Access Mental Health Services as a Teen in Texas
- N. Farr, V. Kadulina, E. Morris, R. Murray, H. Rana
- Apr 12, 2024
- 7 min read
Image Credit: melitas/Shutterstock.com
Mental health is an important part of our lives and a huge number of teens are struggling with their mental health in Texas. In this blog we will discuss how to help each other and ourselves, specifically how many teens are struggling in Texas, the state website for mental health resources, and how to access the Texas Youth Helpline! It is important for teens to be aware of mental health resources so they do not feel alone.
Cultural/Sociological Features of Texas
The population of teenagers from 15-19 years of age is roughly 1,636,232 (TX Demographic Statistics, 2020). Additionally, Texas is 83.7% urban (Brannen, 2023). Here are the percentages of the different races/ethnicities of the youth in Texas:
Hispanic - 49.0%
White - 30.4%
Black - 12.6%
Asian - 5.0%
Indigenous - 0.2%
(Population- Data for Texas, 2024)
13.7% of Texans are living below the federal poverty line as of 2022, and 19.6% of kids 18 years of age and under live in households below the poverty line (Poverty in Texas, n.d.). Living in poverty can be hard as a teen! It can be extremely stressful and significantly impacts their mental health and well-being. Additionally, more than 1.2 million teenagers in Texas have reported having problems with their mental health (Mcadams, 2023)! This is why it is extremely important to learn what mental health resources Texas has to offer incase you or a loved one needs help!
What Does the Texas Government Offer, and Why Does it Matter?
Texas provides free health and human services on their official government website. It is a great resource because it has following features:
Accessible: Users can easily navigate the website with free resources and it is convenient.
Reliable: The website is associated with the government, which makes it trustworthy to use.
Lots to chose from: The website offers many services in regard to mental health, addictions and substance use. It also includes a free 24/7 hotline that includes online chat services too. The suicide prevention number is
Navigation: The website also provides links to other related organizations, long-term care options, and social service professionals.
Some of the services on this website include:
2-1-1: A free and easily accessible way to find mental health resources in your area. All you have to do is type in what you are looking for and your zip code.
Texas System of Care: Ensures adolescents located in Texas have access to services for mental health
Community Support Guide for Alternatives to Inpatient Mental Health Treatment: Helps Texans understand what the best mental health services Texas has to offer are.
Crisis Text Line: A free 24/7 text line for those in crisis (Text TX to 741741).
While there are some good resources on this website, most of these resources are hard for adolescents to access on their own and privately. This can be intimidating to teenagers seeking help and can discourage you from getting the proper help you need. We believe Texas should offer more resources aimed to help adolescents and teens!
It is important for someone who is struggling with mental health, to find a reliable resource for the much needed help. By getting your hands on this website, it can help prevent the long-term effects of any condition! It is important to get the right support and treatment with reliability and safety. Moreover, with the varied and long experience of the professionals, a person can navigate their way with proper guidance and credibility!
The Texas Youth Helpline
It may seem impossible to find a reliable free resource that can help your mental health. However, we cut out all of the extensive researching and Googling and provide you with the best FREE mental health resource we found for teens in Texas.
We believe the best free mental health resource for teens in Texas is the Texas Youth Helpline. This line is open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. This helpline allows for multiple ways to connect with a professional who can help you! The helpline provides teens with a person that will listen to them, help brainstorm plans and choices, and connect them to low or no cost counselors and other resources that are in their community.
This helpline also has a free messaging service for runaway youth and even provides free rides home for runaway youth. The number for this helpline is 1-800-989-6884. If you do not feel comfortable talking on the phone, they also have a chat/text option on their website! A huge benefit of this resource is that everything is CONFIDENTIAL. You are not required to give a name or address when you seek services from this hotline. It is also toll free, meaning the number will not show up on your home phone bill.
How to access the Texas Youth Helpline
You may be wondering how to access this awesome free mental health resource. Luckily, I am here to provide you with easy step-by-step instructions on how you can get connected with this hotline!
Step One: Type in Website URL
After opening your browser, click on you address bar (this is the part of a website where you can type is what website you wish to go to). Into your address bar, type www.dfps.texas.gov/youth-helpline or click the link to reach the main page of this resource.
Step Two: Click the "Youth" Tab on the Main Page
Congrats! You have made it to the main page. If you want to call or text the hotline, the numbers can be found here to type into your phone. If you want to text the chat on the website, you will click on “Chat” to get connected with someone! If you want to take a look at all the resources they have for you to offer, click on the “Youth” tab on on the top of the page.
Step Three: Pick the Resource of your Choosing!
On this page, you will be able to find all of the help this resource has to offer. It is only a matter of choosing! In the top left corner, we have the helpline numbers and the link to chat with a mental health professional again. Dial this number into your phone if you wish to speak or text with this helpline. If you wish to just chat over the computer, click the link embedded in “Chat” to be connected with someone who can help.
Access to Runaway Laws in Texas
This website not only has the helpline numbers, but has additional information you may need. If you scroll down below “Free ride home for Runaways”, you can find more about Runaway laws in Texas incase you find yourself considering running away from a toxic environment. To access these laws, click on the link embedded in “Runaway Laws in Texas”.
Access to How to Run Away from Home in Dire Situations
Other Options
If none of the features of this resource seem to help your problem, the website offers many other easily accessible resources for you to chose from! This section is located at the bottom of the “Youth” tabs and is right under the “Read More About These Pressing Topics” section. Read through what each of these resources have to offer and pick the best on that fits your needs!
Step Four: Your Mental Health Journey Begins Now!
You have now located all the aid this free mental health hotline has to offer! Pick any one of your choosing and dial your phone, click the link, or send a message to get help!
Why We Love the Texas Youth Hotline!
Liz- I believe the Texas Hotline is an awesome resource for teens seeking assistance. Not only is everything you discuss and share with this hotline entirely confidential, but it also helps teens plan, brainstorm, and discuss problems with someone without ever having to see them face-to-face. Additionally, the hotline is able to connect teens with FREE and LOW COST counselors, along with many other free and low cost organizations/resources, which can be extremely beneficial for teens experiencing mental health troubles. Overall, I think this is the best free resource Texas has to offer.
Hetvi- I think that the Texas Hotline is really helpful for immediate guidance. In case, if someone is in need of help at midnight, the website has it covered. With 24/7 availability of the professionals, anyone could get help anytime. This can be very supportive and can work as a lifesaver.
Viktoriia - In my opinion, Hotline in Texas is a great opportunity to get quick help not only for teenagers but also for adults. It is free, fast, anonymous, and helps you get quick help. It also lets you know that you are not alone in this difficult time and They are always ready to help you and give support.
Natasha - Hotline for Texas not only allows you to call and text, but also gives you other resources that are available. The hotline is 100% confidential and will help you with anything you need. Whether you need help dealing with your mental health or you need to run away, the Hotline for Texas is there to help.
Rachel- I see the Texas Mental Health Hotline is like a friendly helping hand to reach out to when you are feeling depressed. The hotline is there 24/7 to listen, offer support, and connect you with more resources to help you improve your mental health. The hotline can act as a safety net for everyone. This is an open access hotline where service workers will speak with you in real time. By offering this service, Texas is showing that it values and commitment to supporting mental health!
Closing
Above all, there are problems and the system is not perfect. However, the more attention we pay to this, the better it will be for you and the future. Our blog gave an analysis of what mental health resources Texas has to offer, but you must not forget that it is very important to help yourself no matter where you are! There is always someone who is in your corner!
Call-to-Action
Please reach out to someone if you are in need of help! Look at the resources in your area that could help. If you do not feel comfortable reaching out to someone you know or the resources around you please look at our step-by-step instructions on how to access an online resource that you can either call or text. If someone you know is in need of help and not in the state of Texas, we recommend looking at the other blogs written by our classmates to see if their state or province is there. Remember, you are not alone! :)
References
Brannen, J. (2023). After Census Redefines Urban and Rural, Texas Remains Steadfastly Both. Kinder Institute for Urban Research. https://kinder.rice.edu/urbanedge/census-redefines-urban-rural#:~:text=As%20a%20percentage%20of%20overall,of%20around%2090%25%20or%20more.
Mcadams, G. (2023) Data Brief: The State of Mental & Behavioral Health in Young Texans. Every Texan. https://everytexan.org/2023/12/15/data-brief-the-state-of-mental-behavioral -health-in-young-texans/
Population- Data for Texas. (2024). March of Dimes Peristats. https://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/data?reg=99&top=14&stop=133&lev=1&slev=4&obj=3&sreg=48
Poverty in Texas. (n.d.) America’s Health Rankings United Health Foundation. https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/measures/household_poverty/TX
TX Demographic Statistics. (2020). Infoplease. https://www.infoplease.com/us/census/texas/demographic-statistics
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