Mental Health Matters

Leon County knows that mental health is just as important as physical health and we are committed to doing everything we can to raise awareness, reduce stigma and encourage our employees to seek help when needed. Mental health issues are real and often treatable. Seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Leon County is committed to helping you seek assistance when needed by providing resources to help employees maintain and improve good mental health.

Mental Health vs. Mental Illness

Mental health and mental illness are often confused, but they are distinct concepts.

Mental Health

Refers to the overall state of well-being in the emotional, psychological, and social aspects of life.
Involves coping with stress, maintaining healthy relationships, and feeling positive about oneself.
Is a continuum, ranging from poor mental health to excellent mental health.

Mental Illness

Is a diagnosable medical condition that affects a person's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Can cause significant distress and impairment in daily functioning.
Examples include depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

Key Differences

Severity: Mental illness is characterized by more severe symptoms and a greater impact on daily life, while mental health is your overall emotional, psychological and social well-being, affecting how you think, feel and act.
Diagnosis: Mental illness is diagnosed by a qualified healthcare professional, while mental health is not.
Treatment: Mental illness often requires professional treatment, such as therapy or medication, while mental health can be improved through self-care measures.

Conclusion

Mental health and mental illness are different but related concepts. While mental health is a state of well-being, mental illness is a medical condition that can affect a person's life significantly. It's important to understand the distinction between the two to seek appropriate support and treatment when needed.

Leon County Government Benefits

Leon County Government offers many things to help our employees in this area, including:

Benefits

Annual, Sick, Personal and Compensatory Leave as well as 12 paid holidays to help employees maintain healthy work-life balance.
Health and Dental insurance, Retirement savings options and Long-Term Care plans to help with your health & financial planning needs. Explore the complete list of all benefits options available.

Employee Assistant Program (EAP)

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a confidential program that provides services to help employees privately resolve a wide range of problems that may arise and interfere with family, work, and other important areas of life. The EAP program allows employees the opportunity to meet with a professional counselor who will assist in identifying the source of the problem and develop a plan to resolve or handle it. For more information, review the Employee Assistance Program.

Live Well Leon Well-Being Program (LWL)

Live Well Leon is dedicated to fostering a healthier lifestyle for Leon County employees and their families…. mentally, physically and emotionally. By offering a diverse range of wellness resources, programs, and incentives, Live Well Leon ensures that maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle is accessible and achievable for everyone.

With a focus on well-being, Live Well Leon recognizes that true health and wellness encompasses five key areas:

Community
Physical
Career
Financial
Social

To keep employees engaged and informed, the Live Well Leon website is regularly updated with new programs, events, and opportunities aimed at promoting both individual well-being and a thriving organizational culture. Together, we can make great strides to build a strong, healthy, productive, resilient, and engaged organization that is people focused, and performance driven. Register for Live Well Leon Activities.

Heart Math

HeartMath Meditation is a heart-focused breathing meditation that can help you quickly change from feeling stressed to feeling calm. Science-based and used worldwide, HeartMath meditation uses breathing techniques to bring about coherence—the alignment of your physical, mental and emotional systems to work in sync.

The major difference between HeartMath and Meditating is the state of your heart when practicing. During meditation there is more of a focus on a state of rest in the body and mind. In HeartMath, there is a higher level of activity in the heart muscle.

Mary Barley, the Leon County Health and Well-Being Coordinator, is a certified HeartMath provider. She will teach two 5–6-week HeartMath classes in 2026, with one starting in January and one starting in August. The class size will be limited to 10 participants, so be sure to check the LWL website for the final dates and register early.

EMS Employee Resources for EMS employees only

Quick Assessment Guides (PDF document)
2nd Alarm
Calm App
Peer to Peer
Animal Therapy

Leon County’s Benefits Vendors offer the following resources:

CHP
Florida Blue (includes resources for the public as well as members only)

Community Resources

In addition to the resources Leon County Government offers, our community has a plethora of resources available to help with Mental Health and Mental Illness, including:

Mental Health Awareness Links and information:

#988 Lifeline Call/Text/Chat/DEAF/HOH

Apalachee Center Inc.

Apalachee Center’s Mobile Response Team (MRT) is a free mental health support phone line providing immediate response, assessment, and intervention to anyone experiencing a mental health crisis in Leon, Liberty, Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, and Wakulla Counties. *Leon County area Counselors are available 24/7, 365 to respond in person, over the phone or virtually.

Mobile Response Team (MRT)

Call MRT a 24/7 Mental Health Helpline: 800-342-0774 if you’re having:

Feelings of hopelessness or helplessness
Thoughts of suicide
Self-harming behavior
Severe anxiety or panic attacks
Hallucinations or other symptoms that interfere with daily life or the ability to meet your own needs.

Better Living Solutions and BLS Recovery Center (Dealing with Eating Disorders)

820 E Park Ave Building I-100 Tallahassee, FL 32301

Open Monday – Friday 8:30am - 6:30pm

Florida Veteran’s Support Line: Available 24/7 every day, and reachable at 1-844-MyFLVet.

HCA Florida

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Local Chapter

Tallahassee Memorial Behavioral Health Center

Crisis Hotlines

211 Big Bend – 850-617-6348

Just as you would call 9-1-1 for emergencies, you can call 2-1-1 for human service information and assistance. We are available 24 hours a day to listen and provide emotional support, crisis counseling, suicide prevention and information.

Crisis Text Line

A service that allows people in crisis to speak with a trained crisis counselor by texting “Start” or “Help” to 741-741

Harbor Village Florida

Kristin Brooks Hopeline – 1-800-442-4673

Another national (USA) hotline for people suffering from mental health issues.

National Alliance on Mental Illness – 800-950-6264

NAMI provides advocacy, education, support and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255

The national (USA) suicide hotline.

Veterans Crisis Line (Veterans only) – 1-800-273-8255 & press 1, or text 838255

A crisis line specifically for veterans of the US armed forces.

Suicide.org list of local helplines for all 50 states

This list includes thousands of local call numbers for every state in the US. Calling a local number can help put you in contact with nearby resources like counselors or psychiatrists faster than calling a national line.