Affordable Mental Health Care

In a crisis

Several free, confidential resources are available immediately:

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988
• Crisis Text Line — text HOME to 741741
• Veterans Crisis Line — call 988 and press 1, or text 838255
• The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth) — call 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678
• National Domestic Violence Hotline — call 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788

These lines are answered by trained counselors. They don't replace ongoing care, but they can help in the moment and connect you to local resources.

If someone is in immediate danger of harming themselves or others, call 911. Many cities now have mobile crisis teams — mental health professionals who can respond to crisis situations instead of police. Ask the 988 counselor whether one is available in your area.

Community Mental Health Centers

Every state has a network of Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) — nonprofit clinics that receive federal and state funding to provide mental health and substance use treatment on a sliding-scale basis. CMHCs offer:

• Individual therapy
• Group therapy
• Psychiatric care (medication management)
• Substance use treatment
• Crisis services
• Case management

To find a CMHC near you, use SAMHSA's Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator at findtreatment.gov. Filter for "low or no cost" and your insurance status.

CMHCs typically prioritize people with serious mental illness, low income, or no insurance. Wait times can be long for non-urgent therapy, but they generally cannot turn away people in crisis.

FQHC mental health services

Many Federally Qualified Health Centers include behavioral health services on the same sliding-scale fees as their medical care. If you're already a patient at an FQHC for primary care, ask whether they have an in-house therapist or psychiatrist. Many do.

The advantage: one chart, one set of records, one team. Your therapist and your primary care doctor can coordinate, which matters especially for medication management.

To find FQHCs with mental health: search findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov and filter for "Mental Health Services."

Sliding-scale therapy

For ongoing therapy outside of CMHCs and FQHCs, several networks connect people to therapists who offer reduced fees:

• Open Path Psychotherapy Collective (openpathcollective.org) — a nonprofit network where therapists offer sessions at $40–$80 to anyone uninsured or underinsured. One-time membership fee.
• Psychology Today (psychologytoday.com/us/therapists) — search and filter for "sliding scale" and "self-pay." Many therapists list their reduced fees here.
• Inclusive Therapists (inclusivetherapists.com) — directory of therapists specializing in marginalized communities, with sliding-scale options.

Many private-practice therapists offer reduced fees to a few clients but don't advertise it. It's worth asking directly.

Help for specific groups

Veterans: VA Mental Health offers free or low-cost care for enrolled veterans. Vet Centers provide free counseling for combat veterans and their families without VA enrollment. Call 1-800-905-4675.

College and university students: most colleges have counseling centers offering free or very low-cost sessions to enrolled students. Use them — they're typically included in tuition.

Children: Medicaid and CHIP cover comprehensive mental health care for children. Many schools have on-site counselors. National Federation of Families supports families navigating children's mental health.

Older adults: Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) can connect you to local programs. Medicare covers mental health visits.

LGBTQ+: The Trevor Project (youth crisis), Trans Lifeline (1-877-565-8860), and LGBT National Hotline (1-888-843-4564) offer specific support.

Medication for mental health

Psychiatric medications can be expensive, especially newer ones. Your options:

• Patient assistance programs for psychiatric medications are common — see our medications guide for how to find them.
• Generic medications are widely available for most psychiatric conditions and cost a fraction of brand-name. Ask your prescriber if there's a generic option.
• Discount cards (GoodRx, SingleCare, RxSaver) can substantially reduce out-of-pocket cost at the pharmacy.
• The NAMI HelpLine (1-800-950-NAMI) can help connect you to medication assistance specifically for psychiatric drugs.

Online and app-based options

Some affordable options that work for some people:

• BetterHelp and Talkspace offer paid online therapy without insurance. Costs vary; sometimes cheaper than in-person, sometimes not.
• 7 Cups offers free emotional support from trained volunteers (not licensed therapists) plus paid therapy.
• NAMI Connection and Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance run free peer support groups, online and in person.
• Therapy Aid Coalition offers free short-term therapy for healthcare workers and others affected by traumatic events.

These work best as a supplement or for moderate concerns. For serious illness, crisis, or medication needs, in-person care is usually better.

Inpatient and emergency care

If you're in danger of harming yourself or someone else, or you can't keep yourself safe:

• Go to a hospital emergency room. EMTALA requires them to evaluate and stabilize you regardless of insurance.
• Some hospitals have psychiatric emergency rooms — separate facilities specifically for mental health crises. They're calmer and faster than a general ER. Call ahead to find out.
• Mobile crisis teams can come to you in many cities.

Inpatient psychiatric care is expensive, but financial assistance programs apply — see our uninsured rights guide.

A note on this guide

Mental health care is often hardest to access for the people who need it most. The systems above are imperfect — wait times, paperwork, narrow networks, stigma — but they exist, and they help. If the first thing you try doesn't work, try the next one. Don't give up on yourself.