Goochland launches online mental health resource guide for residents

Goochland County residents now have one place to start when a mental health need turns urgent or the list of options feels overwhelming. The new online Mental Health Resource Guide steers people to 988 for a crisis, 911 for help from police, firefighters or EMT workers, and a wider menu of local and regional services.

The county officially posted the guide on May 6, 2026, and the page was last updated April 14, 2026. It is written in English and Spanish and is designed to connect residents with state and local resources, insurance provider options, Medicaid and Medicare services, and curated online platforms. The county also directs people to CHDWellness@vdh.virginia.gov if they spot errors in the listings, a sign that the page is intended to be maintained as a living directory rather than a one-time announcement.

For families trying to find counseling, a provider search, nonprofit support or agency referrals, the practical value is in cutting through scattered information. Goochland and the Chickahominy Health District say the guide is meant to reduce the friction that often slows people down at the very moment speed and clarity matter most. The district serves Charles City, Goochland, Hanover and New Kent counties, so the guide also fits a broader regional effort to make mental health information easier to navigate.

The launch grows out of the 2025-2029 Goochland County Community Health Improvement Plan, published Aug. 22, 2025. The plan, which the Virginia Department of Health describes as a five-year roadmap, identifies older adult support and services, mental health, and attainable and safe housing as its three priority areas. Goochland’s 2024 Community Health Assessment was adopted Feb. 10, 2025, after residents and partners were asked to identify the county’s most important health-related concerns.

County Human Services Director Mills Jones said, “Goochland County Human Services is excited to offer this resource to our citizens.” Chickahominy Health District Community Health Coordinator Amelia Swafford said the partnership was essential to making the guide accurate, flexible and easy to use, and credited the mental health workgroup members and county staff who helped draft and publish it.

Swafford also pointed to Virginia Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data showing that 44.3% of Virginians who answered the 2024 survey reported one or more days of poor mental health in the previous 30 days. That figure helps explain why the county is trying to put crisis numbers, service links and eligibility information in one visible place, instead of leaving residents to sort through it alone.