02/26/2026
Today we are reminded again of the weight that so many people carry … even those who spend their lives caring for others.
The recent loss of Martin Short’s daughter, a mental health professional, is a heartbreaking reminder that pain does not discriminate. Those of us who work in prevention, advocacy, and victim services know this reality all too well. The work is meaningful, but it can also be heavy. At times it can leave us feeling disheartened, discouraged, angry, or even hopeless.
And we also see these same feelings in the people we serve every day … especially in underserved and targeted communities where barriers, trauma, and fear can make it feel like the systems meant to protect you are working against you. When that happens, those emotions can become suffocating.
At Family Services of North Alabama, we want our community to know this: you are not alone. We are here to help, to advocate, to walk alongside you, and connect you with the resources and support you deserve.
We are also deeply grateful for partners like the SAM Foundation, whose mission and vision center on mental health awareness, su***de prevention, and ensuring that people have access to compassionate, life-saving support. Organizations like SAM are vital to our communities, and we need them now more than ever.
If you are struggling, or if you love someone who is, please reach out … to us, to SAM, to a trusted friend, to a counselor, to a crisis line. There is help and hope … and there are people who care deeply about you and your life.
And to those doing this work every day … the advocates, the counselors, the caseworkers, the responders …
Please remember to care for yourselves, too. Your wellbeing matters.
We see you. We support you. And we will keep showing up … together.
Family Services of North Alabama
24/7 Crisis Line
1-855-878-9159 (sexual assault)
SAM Foundation
[email protected]
988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline
Call/Text 988 or chat via 988lifeline.org (24/7, free, and confidential)
Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741
(24/7 text support with a trained counselor)
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-7233
thehotline.org (chat available)
RAINN
(R**e, Abuse, In**st National Network)
1-800-656-4673
online.rainn.org (confidential chat)
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline
1-800-422-4453
Call, text, or chat available 24/7
The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth support)
1-866-488-7386
Text START to 678678 or visit thetrevorproject.org
Veterans Crisis Line
Dial 988, then press 1
or text 838255
