232-HELP has expanded its services in Acadiana and now offers free texting service to receive updates and information. It has several on-going programs that provide immediate assistance, such as, its Crisis Connection Center. 

“In a crisis, you know, you can go one way or you can go the other. In an ideal world, you know, 232 help exists to make sure that they don’t go too far off,’ said Chris Roy, Development Coordinator.

232-HELP/211 receives calls from those most in need: the abused spouse in need of shelter, the mother struggling to provide food for her three children, the elderly who can no longer afford dental care, the individuals and families living on the street searching for shelter, the grandmother wanting to learn to read to her granddaughter, and those seeking a GED and those who need financial management skills in order to build a better life for their family.

It Provides services to a 10 parish region and almost 800,000 people. It collaborates with over 1,800 programs, offering over 2,600 social services to Acadiana.

The Crisis Connection Center is one of several programs the agency conducts to better assist those experiencing a crisis. 

“In Lafayette Parish alone there are about 10,000 people with a serious mental illness and about two-thirds of them did not access any treatment last year,” said Executive Director of Lafayette CJCC Justice and Health Collaborative.

Created in August of 2016, Crisis Connection Center is a collaboration between 232-HELP, Acadiana CARES, Vialink New Orleans, St. Bernadette Community Clinic, the Justice and Health Collaborative, and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Counselor Education Program.

“We’ve had a lot of positive responses. We’ve been able to prevent people from having to use the emergency room. Prevent people from being arrested, because they were in such a mental health crisis that people were worried for their public safety,” Hovat added.

For assistance, call 232-HELP [4357] or TEXT your 5-digit zip code to 898211.to reach the Crisis connection Center, call (337)-205-6010.