New Website Aims To Support Mental Health In Central Minnesota

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- A group of Minnesota volunteers and advocates has launched a new website to help people deal with depression and other mental health challenges.

Founder Scott Roeder says he was inspired to create HelpingCentralMN.org after losing his son Jackson to suicide eight years ago.

(After losing him, I just wondered why did this happen? How could this happen? And what I recognize is that there's gaps in the care that Jackson received, and I wanted to help try to close those gaps)

Roeder says 9-8-8 is one of the best resources available on the site.

(We've got this phone number that you can call 7 by 24, 365 days a year. You can call text or chat and you're going to talk to a trained professional counselor confidentially to get help for yourself, help for a friend, just to get the resources that you need)

Roeder says he and other advocates have launched HelpingCentralMN.org.

(There's a peerline mental health peer line also has a video explaining what to expect when you go into an appointment for mental health care, and it's divided into 4 areas. Talk now, immediate health. There's one on kids and family and making an appointment. You go in and you can quickly find resources)

HelpingCentralMN.org offers links to chat and call services, information on how people can make appointments, and videos on mental health services.