What is Mental Health?

Mental health includes your emotional, cognitive, and social well-being and it affects how you feel, think, and behave towards yourself and others. Our mental health can change over time and can be impacted by biological factors, lifetime experiences, and stress. 

The following resources are available to help people who may be experiencing distress or heightened anxiety right now:

Review the Riverside University Health System’s reference for maintaining mental health and well-being: “Coping With Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks”

Call 2-1-1 referrals for health and social services

Behavioral Health CARES Line: (800) 706-7500

Substance Use CARES Line: (800) 499-3008

24/7 Mental Health Urgent Care:
• Riverside (951) 509-2499
• Palm Springs (442) 268-7000
• Perris (951) 349-4195

Riverside University Health System - Public Health www.rivcoph.org/ 
or call 2-1-1 for more information

If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911 immediately.

For people who are experiencing high stress due to emotional challenges presented by the virus, Riverside County residents have free access to live support via text chat from peer support specialists and counselors through a new computer and smartphone app called TakeMyHand.co

The app uses a chat format to connect individuals with specialists who are trained to interact with people expressing concerns about difficult feelings and behaviors. TakeMyHand.co provides an alternative to telephone and video calls for those who prefer text as their primary form of communication. A comprehensive list of Riverside County wellness and recovery resources is also available at the TakeMyHand.co site, which is confidential and does not require a login, username or password.

The COVID-19 pandemic and distance learning has greatly affected our dynamic at home. Uncertainty has increased the amount of stress and worry on our students as well as parents/caregivers. Our new Parent Engagement Video Series provides strategies and school/community resources to support families' social and emotional well-being.

Watch the Parent/Guardian Engagement Series here