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More than 30 thousand Floridians have submitted a claim against BP, yet about 13 thousand remain unpaid, causing stress, anger and resentment. As the uncertainty drags on, and unemployment high, Mike Vasilinda tells us, a new mental health hot line has just come on line to help victims of the oil spill.

From fishermen to real estate agents, to beach shop employees stressed out over the loss of income, a new hotline is open to help… not with collecting a claim, but reclaiming mental stability.

In this undisclosed location south of Tallahassee, operators handle a bevy of different hot lines.

Everything from helping with utility payments, to pregnancies, to AIDS.

This past weekend, a hotline to help oil spill victims deal with mental distress went online. Carrie Tyree had received a number of Deep Horizon related calls.

“What about my job those kinds of things,” said Tyree.

While the oil is gone. It’s impact is lasting. The oil spill distress hot line will be in place for 15 months, funded by a grant from BP. Director Randy Nicklaus says oil distress calls are just beginning to come in

“We’re treating this as a post disaster distress oil disaster help line, and we’re helping people with all kinds of family issues they might be experiencing, in addition to their economic issues,” said Nicklaus.

The hotline center handled 60 thousand calls last year…and expects that number to increase as the oil spill continues to take its toll. BP has funded ten million dollars for mental health outreach. Florida is receiving one hundred forty thousand dollars to operate the hot line. The number to call is 800-985-5990.