In Hays County, Texas, something different happened.
Today, Get Support Together officially launched — not with a presentation, but with a conversation.
We welcomed a judge, mayors, law enforcement, university staff, residential treatment and recovery center leaders, private therapists, crisis intervention teams, public health professionals, and community partners into one room. Together, we explored a powerful question:
What does the mental health journey really look like—before, during, and after crisis?
One Family’s Story. A System Failure Revealed.
At the center of this launch event was my family’s real-life journey navigating a over a decade of pediatric mental health crises in Ohio and in Texas. The discussion was not just about the moment of crisis—but everything surrounding it.
- The abandonment
- The confusion
- The empty searches for help
- And the reality of what happens after the crisis ends
What became clear to everyone in the room was this: The system works in moments—but breaks in-between and after. There are incredible people doing life-changing work across our communities. But, those efforts often exist in silos, leaving families to navigate a fragmented and overwhelming landscape on their own.
Where We Go From Here
This is exactly why Get Support Together was built.
Not to replace providers — but to connect them.
Not to simplify care — but to simplify access to it.
During the discussion, several critical opportunities emerged:
Supporting Families After First Response
When law enforcement responds to a mental health event, the immediate crisis may be addressed - through resolve or detention - but families are often left behind without direction.
Imagine if families had:
- Clear support options to address the issue they are facing
- Easy access to community or national virtual support groups
- Connections to local clinical, non-clinical, and holistic providers
Moving Beyond the "Safety Plan"
Discharge from residential treatment or stabilization units is a critical transition point. But, too often, support ends with a document and a "promise" to not repeat behaviors.
A wraparound approach can be available to:
- Find the right support professional and psychiatrist for their continuum of care
- Connect with community-based supports
- Access peer groups and lived-experience communities
- Find activities that support long-term healing
The Resources are Out There
Countless organizations are building static or call-center recruited mental health professionals to assist their staff or the community.
But how do you choose?
- Get Support Together is building a shareable repository of data, expanding the concept of collaboration rather than re-creation
- The power is in the type of data, not a phone number or website
- Often care seekers don't know what type of treatment or resource fits their needs
Building an Ecosystem — Together
Get Support Together is a nonprofit designed to bring all of these pathways into one connected ecosystem. While our platform was introduced for Texas in May 2026, our intent is nationwide reach supporting communities all over the country. We aim to connect resources for individuals in highly populated cities to super rural communities with limited to no mental health support. Our platform includes:
- Clinical providers
- Non-clinical support
- Holistic and alternative approaches
- Free, sliding scale, insurance-based, and private-pay options
- Community mental health events for care seekers to join locally or virtually
- An evolving crisis resource directory for mental health and social determinants of health immediate needs.
If it supports mental health, it belongs in the ecosystem.
What Happens Next: A Call to the Mental Health Community
Over the past two years, we have built the platform. The technology, search results, and ability to make referrals is agile, adaptable, and ready to take feedback from mental health providers to build a nationally scaleable resource directory. Now we need the community.
We are inviting mental health professionals across Texas—and beyond—to join us by creating a free listing. Our growth will be intentional - through network weaving, not mass aggregation.
That means:
- We will NEVER populate our website with your data available through public resources. All providers, facilities, and programs must create their own profile and benefit from the expansive searchable fields to attract the ideal care seekers.
- We are asking providers to connect providers. We are looking for word to spread and organic growth through the shared objective of improving mental health access for our friends, family, and neighbors.
- We want our communities strengthened so a care seeker can find us directly or be supported by a school counselor, religious leader, networking friend, or city hall.
- We aim to build a system with you, not around you. Our agile software is built to be responsive so as mental health needs and solutions evolve, we will evolve too.
What happened today was more than a launch.
It was alignment.
It was awareness.
It was a shared recognition that we can—and must—do better together.
And, our family was honored to have Erin Barker, former Administrator for the Hays County Sheriff's Office Crisis Response Team surprise us with her presence. Erin has since left her role and moved out of state. But she was here, supporting our family on the back end, after trying to simply help our family survive and stay together for many years. Tears were shed.
This is just the beginning.
If mental health matters to you and you'd like to make a difference, please consider donating to our mission today. Your contribution will help expand our technology, reach, and community impact. We also invite you to share this website with anyone you know supporting families with basic needs or with mental health resources. We need them here.
