In late 2006, LPHI’s Stay Healthy Louisiana program joined with the Louisiana Spirit hurricane recovery and mental health program to help expand awareness of Louisiana Spirit’s crisis-counseling services. In 2007, LPHI’s Division of Media and Communications formally partnered with Louisiana Spirit to launch a major advertising and marketing campaign highlighting Louisiana Spirit’s services, in particular their toll-free, crisis-counseling hotline, 1-800-273-TALK.

Sponsored by Louisiana Spirit and the Department of Health and Hospitals, the new advertising campaign is part of a major effort designed to emphasize the importance of mental health in the recovery process since the 2005 hurricanes.

Launched in August 2007, the campaign focuses on helping citizens get help for their mental health issues in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The campaign’s theme recognizes resilience, rebuilding and moving forward. The advertising informs people that Louisiana Spirit counselors are ready to help them directly or, if necessary, direct them to the appropriate services.

Campaign components include television, radio, outdoor and print. To see examples of the work, visit the Louisiana Spirit homepage.

Louisiana Spirit provides counseling services free of charge to anyone in Louisiana, as well as community organizations, government employees, rescuers, disaster service workers, business owners, religious groups and other special populations. Services include individual counseling for all ages, group counseling for first responders and specialized counseling and stress management services.

Established following the storms of 2005, Louisiana Spirit leads a statewide outreach effort that has resulted in more than two million crisis counseling contacts since the program’s launch. Louisiana Spirit operates under the Louisiana Department of Health and HospitalsOffice of Mental Health.