New Website Connects Central Minnesota Residents with Mental Health Resources

(KNSI) – A new website was recently launched to help people of all ages in central Minnesota who are dealing with depression, thoughts of suicide, and other mental health challenges.

The website, Helping Central MN was created by a group of local volunteers that includes parents who have lost children to suicide, professionals working in the mental health and substance use fields, and other concerned community members. The site connects children, adults, and caregivers with several different resources to quickly provide care and services.

On the site, it includes information on call, text, and chat services that are available around the clock, including phone numbers for crisis teams who can meet people in their homes. It also contains information about where to make appointments with mental health providers, videos about what mental health services are like, and additional resources.

“Nearly everyone knows or has a family member with mental health or substance use issues, but too often they don’t realize there are excellent resources available to them. HelpingCentralMN.org is one such resource, and we want to get the word out that it’s here for everyone,” said St. Cloud’s Scott Roeder, one of the website’s creators and a volunteer with several state and national mental health organizations. He and his wife, Reyne, lost their son, Jackson Roeder, to suicide in 2017.

“Help that can be life-changing, and even life-saving, is just a click away,” added Scott Roeder. “We all need to take care of our mental and emotional well-being, and when you or a loved one is feeling down or hopeless, please visit HelpingCentralMN.org. You are not alone.”

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