Crisis & support resources

Help is available, and reaching for it is an act of courage, not weakness. Every number and link below is free to use. Bookmark this page, print it, or send it to someone who needs it.

Call 988 Text 988

The three numbers to remember

If you only keep three numbers, keep these. All three are free, and all three work from any phone.

988 — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Free, confidential support from a trained crisis counselor, anywhere in the U.S.

Best for
Thoughts of suicide, a mental health or substance use crisis, overwhelming anxiety, or any moment that has become too much to hold alone.
Availability
24/7

Available in Spanish by call, text, and chat. People who are Deaf or hard of hearing can connect by videophone at 988lifeline.org/deaf-hard-of-hearing-hearing-loss.

911 — Emergency services

Immediate dispatch for police, fire, and ambulance.

Best for
Someone is in immediate physical danger, has overdosed, is seriously injured, or a crime is in progress.
Availability
24/7

If the emergency is a mental health one, say so when you call, and ask whether a crisis-intervention-trained responder or mobile crisis team can be sent.

211 — Essential community services

One call connects you to local help with the practical things that pile up in a hard season.

Best for
Rent and housing help, utility bills, food assistance, health coverage, child care, disaster recovery, and job resources.
Availability
Varies by region; many centers answer 24/7

Spanish at es.211.org.

Specialized crisis lines

Staffed by counselors trained for a particular experience. Reach them directly — you do not need to go through 988 first.

Veterans Crisis Line

Crisis support from responders who understand military service, many of them veterans themselves.

Best for
Veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and the people who love them.
Availability
24/7

You do not need to be enrolled in VA benefits or VA health care to connect.

The Trevor Project

Crisis counseling from people trained to support LGBTQ+ young people.

Best for
LGBTQ+ young people, and anyone worried about one.
Availability
24/7

TTY 1-866-803-3699. The 988 Lifeline's "press 3" option for LGBTQ+ youth was discontinued in July 2025, so contact The Trevor Project directly — older printed guides still list the old instructions.

National Domestic Violence Hotline

Confidential support, safety planning, and local referrals for anyone experiencing abuse.

Best for
Domestic violence, dating abuse, and figuring out how to help someone who is being hurt.
Availability
24/7

If the person hurting you might check your devices, call rather than browse. Internet history can be monitored and is difficult to erase completely.

Helping someone you're worried about

Most people in crisis tell a friend before they tell a professional. You do not need training to help, but knowing what to say makes it easier to start.

988 Lifeline — Help Someone Else

The 988 Lifeline's guide to recognizing warning signs and talking with someone who may be suicidal.

Best for
A quick read before a hard conversation: warning signs, what to say and what to avoid, and how to listen.
Availability
Online, any time

You can also call or text 988 yourself to talk through how to help.

#BeThe1To

Five action steps for helping someone in crisis, from the 988 Lifeline: Ask, Be There, Help Keep Them Safe, Help Them Connect, and Follow Up.

Best for
Anyone who wants a simple plan to remember, including asking directly about suicide — which does not put the idea in someone's head.
Availability
Online, any time

Be There Certificate

A free, self-paced online course on supporting someone with their mental health, from Jack.org and Born This Way Foundation.

Best for
Learning to spot when someone is struggling, start the conversation, listen well, set boundaries, and connect them to help — while looking after yourself.
Availability
Online, any time; six lessons, under two hours

Available in English, French, and Spanish. A certificate is available on completion.

Seize the Awkward

Conversation starters and videos for checking in on a friend, from the Ad Council, AFSP, and NAMI.

Best for
Teens and young adults who are worried about a friend and do not know how to bring it up.
Availability
Online, any time; text line 24/7

Texting SEIZE to 741741 connects you to a Crisis Text Line counselor.

Food, housing, bills, and work

A crisis is often a practical problem before it is anything else. Start with 211 above; these directories cover the same ground online.

findhelp.org

A searchable directory of free and reduced-cost programs near you.

Best for
Food, housing, transit, health care, money, care, education, work, and legal aid — searchable by ZIP code.
Availability
Online, any time

Available in more than 100 languages.

Understanding mental health and finding care

For the questions that come after the crisis passes: what this diagnosis means, how to find a therapist, and what to do when treatment is not affordable.

NAMI HelpLine

National Alliance on Mental Illness. Trained staff and volunteers who help you work out the next step.

Best for
Understanding a diagnosis, finding a provider or treatment program, navigating insurance and cost, and supporting a family member.
Availability
Mon–Fri, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, closed federal holidays

An information and referral line, not a crisis line. If it is urgent, call or text 988.

The Jed Foundation — Mental Health Resource Center

Plain-language guides on mental health, written for teens and young adults.

Best for
High school and college students, and the parents, coaches, and friends trying to understand what a young person is carrying.
Availability
Online, any time

Alcohol, drugs, and recovery

Be careful with treatment "hotlines" that surface in search ads — many are run by for-profit marketers who refer callers to facilities they own. Every line below is federal or nonprofit.

SAMHSA National Helpline

The federal treatment referral and information line for mental health and substance use.

Best for
Finding treatment, support groups, and community organizations — including options for people with no insurance.
Availability
24/7, 365 days a year

Free and confidential, in English and Spanish.

Alcoholics Anonymous

Free peer support meetings for anyone who wants to stop drinking.

Best for
In-person, phone, and online meetings almost anywhere, most days of the week.
Availability
Meetings daily, worldwide

There are no dues or fees. The meeting finder also lists local AA offices, many of which answer the phone around the clock.

Al-Anon Family Groups

Support for the families and friends of someone who drinks.

Best for
Partners, parents, siblings, children, and friends carrying someone else's drinking. Alateen serves teens.
Availability
Phone line Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–6 p.m. ET; online and phone meetings run 24/7

Grief and loss

Losing someone to suicide is its own kind of grief. These organizations exist because other families have walked it first.

AFSP — I've Lost Someone

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's support for people bereaved by suicide.

Best for
The first weeks, the first year, and the years after. Healing Conversations pairs you one-to-one with a trained volunteer who has lost someone too.
Availability
Free, nationwide

AFSP also maintains a directory of clinicians trained in suicide bereavement.

Good Grief Group

A community of volunteers partnering with children, teens, and families to navigate the journey of grief and the continuation of life.

Best for
Grieving kids and teens. Programs include a four-day Kids Camp, a three-day Tween Camp, and a one-day Holiday Camp.
Availability
Northwest Montana — based in Kalispell