Mental health care can include therapy, medication management, crisis support, peer support, case management, substance-use treatment, and help with housing or social services. The best starting point depends on urgency, symptoms, insurance, income, age, location, and the type of help needed.
If there is immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. If you or someone else is thinking about suicide, self-harm, or a mental health crisis, call or text 988 in the United States.
Start With the Type of Help You Need
Therapy, medication evaluation, community mental health services, and crisis care are different services. A clinic that offers counseling may not offer psychiatry, and a crisis program may not provide ongoing therapy.
Use Official Treatment Locators
SAMHSA's treatment locator can help find mental health and substance-use treatment services by location. Search results may include outpatient programs, community clinics, residential services, and telehealth options. Call the provider to confirm current services, cost, insurance, and availability.
Community Health Centers
Community health centers often provide primary care and may also offer behavioral-health services or referrals. They use sliding-fee discounts based on income and family size for eligible patients.
Ask whether the center offers counseling, medication management, psychiatry, substance-use treatment, case management, telehealth, same-day access, and sliding-fee discounts.
County or State Mental Health Agencies
Many counties and states operate or fund mental health services for residents with low income, no insurance, Medicaid, or serious mental illness.
Ask about intake appointments, crisis services, community mental health centers, eligibility rules, required documents, waitlists, transportation, and language access.
Medicaid and CHIP
Medicaid may cover mental health and substance-use services for eligible adults and children. CHIP may cover behavioral-health care for eligible children.
If you have Medicaid or CHIP, call the plan or state agency and ask for in-network behavioral-health providers accepting new patients.
Sliding-Scale Private Therapy
Some therapists reserve limited lower-fee appointments. Also check university training clinics, nonprofit counseling agencies, employee assistance programs, group therapy, telehealth providers, and faith-based counseling programs.
When to Use Crisis Care
Use crisis or emergency care for thoughts of suicide or self-harm, threats to harm someone else, severe confusion, psychosis causing danger, inability to care for basic needs, severe substance withdrawal, overdose, violence, or immediate safety risk.
Call or text 988 for crisis support in the United States. Call 911 for immediate danger or a medical emergency.
Related Resources
- How Sliding-Scale Healthcare Fees Work
- How to Find a Free or Low-Cost Clinic Near You
- Free Clinic vs. Community Health Center: What Is the Difference?
Sources
- SAMHSA: FindTreatment.gov
- SAMHSA: Find help
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- HRSA: Find a Health Center
- Medicaid.gov: Behavioral health services
This article is for general information only and is not medical or mental-health advice. Availability, eligibility, costs, and services can change.