General Mental Health Resources
Reviewed by: HU Medical Review Board | Last reviewed: March 2023 | Last updated: September 2023
Living with a mental health condition may pose many challenges. It requires coping, finding treatment, and managing the impact of the condition on family, friendships, and work. Stigma can make day-to-day life even harder.
These hardships mean people with mental health conditions may need several resources for support. People with a physical health condition often live with a mental health condition as well, which further complicates their lives. The following lists online and phone resources that may help.
Gateways to mental health education and resources
The National Alliance on Mental Illness is a grassroots mental health organization that educates, advocates, listens, and leads. You can find resources, directions to support groups, a crisis helpline, community affiliates, and much more on their site. Call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or text "HELPLINE" to 62640 on weekdays between 10 AM and 10 PM ET for the resource hotline.1
Mental Health America is a community-based nonprofit with programs for promoting mental health, educational resources, online screening tools, and other resources.2
US government resources
The National Institute of Mental Health, in addition to being the source of funding for mental health research, is also a source of education and provider directories.3
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is a resource with mental health treatment locators and information related to treatment. SAMHSA also runs numerous programs, campaigns, and assistance and resource centers. Along with Vibrant Emotional Health, they provide the 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Call or text them at 988, or call 1-800-273-8255.4
MentalHealth.gov is a gateway to information and resources for mental health treatment and education. The site offers specific information broken down by mental health condition and also includes a treatment locator and resources explaining how to get help.5
Stopbullying.gov is a resource for reporting, responding to, preventing, and educating about bullying and cyberbullying. It offers resources for parents, teachers, communities, teens, and kids.6
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a network of crisis centers. In addition to the suicide prevention lifeline, the website offers specific resources for young people, Native Americans, veterans, LGBTQ+ people, neurodivergent people, deaf and hard of hearing people, Spanish speakers, and more.7
The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act was signed into law in 2020. In July 2022, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline became the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Call 988 or 1-800-273-8255 to reach the active hotline, or send a text to 988.7
The US Department of Veterans Affairs offers resources, awareness, information, and prevention initiatives for mental health. Dial 988, then press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line. Or you can text 838-255 or go online to live chat.8
Resources for survivors of violence
The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) is the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the United States. It offers safety and prevention resources, support services, survivor stories, and more to those affected by sexual violence.9
By partnering with local sexual assault service providers all across the country, RAINN also operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call 1-800-656-4673 or chat online using their crisis support hotline.9
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) is an organization that supports anyone who has experienced domestic abuse or violence. It offers personalized safety plans, tips, and an anonymous, confidential 24/7 telephone hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE).10
Finding inclusive mental health services and support
Everyone should have access to mental health services that make them feel safe, seen, and supported. There are organizations that offer affirming care and resources to people of all identities. Some examples are listed below.
Resources for the LGBTQ+ community
The Trevor Project offers a 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week suicide prevention hotline for those who identify as LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other). They also offer chat and text messaging services with live help for LGBTQ+ youth. Call 1-866-488-7386 for the TrevorLifeline, or text “START” to 678-678 for TrevorText.11
The National Alliance on Mental Illness, mentioned at the top of the page, also has a support finder for LGBTQ+ resources.12
The Trans Lifeline is a 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week hotline staffed by transgender people for transgender people. The website also offers resources specific to the transgender community. Call 1-877-565-8860 in the United States and 1-877-330-6366 in Canada.13
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers information and directions to LGBTQ+-specific resources for mental health.14
For a more comprehensive list of resources, see mental health resources for LGBTQ+ people.15
Resources for young people
The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine is a gateway that lists many resources related to mental health support for youth.16
Youth.gov offers information and resources for mental health education and intervention.17
Mentalhealthliteracy.org offers information, interactive learning, initiatives, resources for parents and teachers, and directories for finding mental health professionals.18
The National Institute of Mental Health offers education, information about warning signs, statistics, and directories for finding mental health professionals for youth.19
MentalHealth.gov is another website with resources and organizations specific to young people.20
The Jed Foundation is a nonprofit resource center for protecting mental health and preventing suicide in teens and young adults in the United States.21
The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline is devoted to helping children heal from physical and emotional abuse. Childhelp offers therapeutic programs, trainings, and curriculum for advocates and volunteers. They also run the National Child Abuse Hotline, where you can make an official report if you are or know of a child who is being hurt. Call or text them at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (422-4453).22
Resources for people of color
The Steve Fund is a nonprofit focused on improving the mental health of young people of color. The Steve Fund runs mental health education workshops for educators as well as high school and college students. It also partners with colleges in order to improve mental health resources for students of color.23
The Black Mental Health Alliance is a nonprofit that maintains a database of mental health professionals offering culturally competent therapy to Black patients. The organization also partners with schools to offer mental healthcare and runs mental health workshops and forums for Black communities.24
The Indian Health Service provides help for American Indian and Alaska Native adults and children experiencing mental health conditions, trauma, and substance use disorder. It offers telehealth services for counseling, suicide prevention, domestic violence, youth issues, and more.25
The Asian Mental Health Project offers mental health education resources, a weekly check-in group, and a therapist outreach template on its website.26
Therapy for Latinx provides resources including crisis hotlines and book recommendations. It also hosts a database of mental health providers who either identify as Latina, Latino, or Latinx or have served these communities.27
If you are outside of the United States, find a helpline in your country at findahelpline.com.