Massachusetts Mental Health Crisis Resources
Who to call, text or visit when you or someone you love needs help now. Free, confidential and available any time.
If you need help now
In a mental health crisis in Massachusetts, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line at 833-773-2445, any time. If someone’s life is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Quick list
| Resource | How to reach it | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency services | Call 911 | Immediate danger to life or safety, overdose, medical emergency |
| 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline | Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org | Suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, worry about someone else |
| Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL) | Call or text 833-773-2445, or chat at masshelpline.com | Connecting to Massachusetts crisis services and treatment, any time |
| Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHCs) | Find your local CBHC on Mass.gov | Mobile crisis teams and same-day urgent behavioral health care |
| Crisis Text Line | Text HOME to 741741 | Texting with a trained crisis counselor |
| The Trevor Project | Call 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678 | LGBTQ+ young people in crisis |
| Veterans Crisis Line | Dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255 | Veterans, service members and their families |
| Trans Lifeline | Call 877-565-8860 | Peer support run by and for trans people |
| Poison Control | Call 1-800-222-1222 | Possible overdose or poisoning, when the person is awake and breathing |
Call 911 or go to an emergency room when
- Someone has hurt themselves badly or taken an overdose.
- Someone has a weapon or plan and intends to act on it now.
- Someone is unconscious, not breathing normally or cannot be woken.
Tell the dispatcher it is a mental health emergency. Stay with the person if you can do so safely.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
988 is the national number for suicidal thoughts, mental health crises and emotional distress. You can call, text or chat, and you do not need to be suicidal to reach out. Counselors also help people who are worried about someone else. Spanish-language support is available, and veterans can press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line. Learn more from SAMHSA.
Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line
The Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL) is the state’s free line for mental health and substance use help, at 833-773-2445. It is open 24 hours a day, every day. Staff can talk with you, help you figure out what kind of care you need, and connect you to crisis services, including a mobile crisis team, or to ongoing treatment. You can call, text or chat at masshelpline.com.
Community Behavioral Health Centers
Massachusetts has a network of Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHCs) that offer mental health and substance use care, including 24/7 mobile crisis intervention for adults and youth. A crisis team can come to you at home, at school or in the community, which can be an alternative to waiting in an emergency room. Find the CBHC for your town on Mass.gov, or call the BHHL and they will connect you.
If you are worried about someone else
- Ask directly. “Are you thinking about killing yourself?” Asking does not put the idea in someone’s head.
- Stay with them, or stay on the phone, until help arrives.
- Reduce access to things they could use to hurt themselves, such as firearms or stockpiled medication, if it is safe to do so.
- Call or text 988 together, or call the BHHL, so they are not doing it alone.
The National Institute of Mental Health has more on warning signs and how to help.
Support that is not a crisis line
If you need help finding treatment for substance use or mental health but are not in crisis, the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 is free, confidential and open any time.
About Journey Psychiatric Care and emergencies
Journey Psychiatric Care is a telehealth practice for ongoing outpatient care. We cannot respond to emergencies, and messages to the practice are not monitored around the clock. Please use the resources above when you need help now.
When the crisis has passed and you are ready for ongoing care, you can book a new patient evaluation or read how telehealth psychiatry works. You are welcome to link to or share this page.