Mental Health News

Hanover Twp., Northampton County's board of supervisors approved a 144-bed behavioral health hospital built and operated by Lehigh Valley Health Network and health care behemoth Universal Health Services.

WLVR's Megan Frank talks with journalists Brittany Sweeney and Jay Bradley.

The Allentown Police Department and public officials are again looking at launching a pilot program to change the city’s response to mental health emergencies.

Lehigh Valley Health Network and Lehigh County Drug & Alcohol are training high school and college students for medical careers. The program aims at bringing more support to the community to make it a safer place to live.

An art show centered around mental health and disabilities is opening in an unlikely place. Midnight Gallery is in the showroom of Vollux Autowerks, a car repair and diagnostics shop in Lehigh County.

Students, who college officials said are a demographic experiencing an "epidemic" of mental health issues, say they're excited for the new space and see its potential.

A group of firefighters dressed as superheroes to brighten the day of pediatric patients at St. Luke's University Health Network. The group is called Humble Heroes of the Fire Department of the City of New York.

Allentown School District is giving its high school students access to ‘Counslr,’ an app that provides 24-hour text-based sessions with licensed counselors to schools and businesses.

Listen to the Dissonance: Songs & Conversations About Mental Health will be at 2 p.m. Feb. 4 (doors and vendors open at 1:30) in the Charles Brown Icehouse, 56 River St., Bethlehem. Offered by Your Next Favorite Band podcast, the show will offer interviews and solo performances by five regional performers, then a songwriter roundtable with all the participating artists.

Getting physical and mental health in check is a popular new year resolution. Lehigh Valley health leaders are explaining how they plan to accomplish their goals for 2024.

It’s a taboo topic with serious consequences: Across the country, the suicide rate has risen more than 33% in the last decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Research in a growing scientific field called ecotherapy at Harvard University shows activities like walking in the woods can help reduce stress, anxiety and depression. Even a few minutes outside can do the trick.

The popularity of internet-based gambling in Pennsylvania has taken off as the pandemic caused casinos to shutdown. But online gambling addiction may be rising as well.

Mental health conditions continue to skyrocket during the pandemic, leaving many feeling hopeless. But a Lehigh Valley psychiatrist says there are ways to combat the mental health crisis.

The Lehigh Valley Zoo is hosting an anti-valentines fundraiser that might help you get some closure.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) has brought forward two bills that would provide training to help police officers in dealing with individuals with mental illness as well as enacting a program to help reduce calls to 911 in non-emergency situations.

The United Way of the Great Lehigh Valley offering workshops for educators to deal with the stresses of remote learning

This weekend, a community group in Allentown is hosting a special relief drive for residents in need. The event offers residents home-cooked meals, clothes, toiletries and more.

Every year, 2,000 Pennsylvanians die by suicide. That’s according to the nonprofit Prevent Suicide PA. In Northampton County, training sessions are helping community members learn how to save lives through what’s called the QPR model.

For 34 years, Russell Valentini, the man Allentown knows as Rooster, has been the one person families could turn to. When landlords locked them out, when shelters were full and when there was no cash left to pay for dinner.

Calls made to report suspected child abuse to Pennsylvania’s ChildLine continued to be significantly lower than usual in May.

Parks in Northampton County are slated to reopen this Friday — trails will open, but playgrounds and pavilions will remain closed.