.png)
Residents seeking support for stress, anxiety or overall well-being have a new tool available through the Bastrop County Health Department.
CredibleMind, a free online platform launched Sept. 22, offers confidential mental health assessments and selfhelp resources designed to support emotional, psychological and social well-being. Officials said including area providers and program incentives will hopefully encourage residents to explore all that the database has to offer.
“When we talked to the community about what they wanted from the health department, they said there’s a really big gap in mental health and identifying what resources are available,” said Adriana Rodriguez, a health department specialist. “We’re trying to show them you do have resources, here’s what’s here, and here’s how you can reach them.”
The database currently includes 16 local organizations, including Bluebonnet Trails, the Children’s Advocacy Center, Court Appointed Special Advocates, the Smithville Community Clinic and Veterans Services. More will be added as new resources are identified, according to officials.
“This is really a selfhelp tool for people to find out where they’re struggling and how they can connect with local resources,” Rodriguez said. “The idea was to bridge the gap, because often people know something is wrong but don’t know where to go from there.”
The health department plans to expand outreach to schools, employers and healthcare providers to promote the platform and encourage its use among professionals and community groups.
“I want as many people to be able to access this as they can,” Rodriguez said. “We want to help the people who are most vulnerable and show them that they have options and ways to manage what they’re going through.”
Completing the online assessment by Oct. 24 enters participants into a $100 gift card drawing. To ensure accessibility, the department made inclusivity a priority by offering the entire site in Spanish.
Participation is anonymous and confidential, and users can browse resources without creating an account.
“There would never be any fees for users. Any cost is covered by the health department,” Rodriguez said. “Our goal is to make sure as many people as possible know they have safe, free resources available to them. “It’s very comprehensive — there’s no difference between the Spanish website and the English website.”
Residents can visit crediblemind. com to learn more or take the online assessment.
