Call 911
Call 911 for emergency assistance if someone is:
  • Creating a danger to themselves or others
  • Having suicidal thoughts

Need something else?

NYC Well is now NYC 988. It is a free, confidential help line that can provide you with information and referrals to a variety of behavioral health care services. People with mental illnesses or who are in crisis will be connected to services that meet their specific needs. NYC 988 can help you bridge barriers to care and get help whenever you need it. 

When you call, text, or chat 988, you will be connected to trained mental health professionals that are part of the existing 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline network. 988 is the three-digit dialing code across the country that will route callers to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. In New York City, 988 services are provided through NYC 988.

NYC 988 counselors can help assess your situation and provide information and NYC based counseling referrals for:

  • Drug or alcohol abuse
  • Eating disorders
  • Depression and bipolar disorders
  • Anxiety, phobia, or panic disorders
  • Family difficulties
  • Insomnia
  • Schizophrenia and other psychoses
  • Gambling
  • Anger management
  • Peer support services

NYC 988 bases its referrals on several factors, including your:

  • Health issues
  • Location
  • Insurance and financial requirements

You can also go online for help navigating the city's mental health services. The website can match you with the right behavioral health resource based on your needs and preferences.

Online

Learn more about NYC 988.

By Text

Send a text to 988

By Phone

  • Agency: Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
  • Division: NYC 988 Hotline
  • Phone Number: 988
  • Business Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week

Family Resource Centers

Referrals to support, advocacy, respite care, recreational, and educational services are available for:

  • Parents and caregivers whose children (0-24 years old) have been identified as having emotional, behavioral, or mental health challenges, or who are at risk for developing a disorder. 
  • Children, youth, and young adults transitioning to adult services who have been identified as having emotional, behavioral, or mental health challenges, or who are at risk for developing a disorder.

You can get information and counseling referrals in Spanish through NYC 988.

Online

Learn more about NYC 988.

By Phone

  • Agency: Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
  • Division: NYC 988 Hotline Spanish
  • Phone Number: 988
  • Business Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week
  • Press 2 for assistance in Spanish.

You can get referrals for needle exchange programs where used syringe needles can be exchanged for clean ones.

There is no out-of-pocket expense. Client information is kept confidential.

  • Agency: Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
  • Division: NYC 988 Hotline
  • Phone Number: 988
  • Business Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week

The Early Childhood Mental Health Network provides mental health support for young children and their families, helping to address challenges early. Mental health professionals consult with early childhood programs partnered with the Department of Education (DOE) to address program, classroom, and child-level challenges in order to strengthen the capacity of teachers and caregivers to support children.

Seven early childhood therapeutic centers, open to all New York residents, located throughout the City offer specialized mental health treatment for children from birth to age five and their families, as well as access to family peer advocates and connection to ongoing support.

Additionally, mental health professionals are able to receive specialized training in evidence-based practices and early childhood development through the Early Childhood Mental Health Training and Technical Assistance Center in order to increase the capacity and competencies of professionals working to identify and address the mental health needs of young children.

Services Provided

Individual and family counseling that utilizes evidence-based approaches for clients with trauma, including:

  • Play therapy and Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)
  • Parent groups
  • Assessments and screenings
  • Staff and teacher training 

You can contact a clinic in your borough:

Bronx North

The Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services 
(844) 663-2255

Bronx South

Association to Benefit Children
(929) 288-4320

Manhattan

Northside Center for Child Development
(212) 426-3400

Queens

The Child Center of New York
(718) 530-6892

Brooklyn Central and South

OHEL Children’s Home and Family Services
(800) 603-6435

Brooklyn North and East

The Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services 
(844) 663-2255

Staten Island

Staten Island Mental Health Society
(718) 448-9775 ext. 551

Project HOPE provides crisis emotional support counseling to help New Yorkers cope during the COVID-19 pandemic. Talking to crisis counselors can help you understand your feelings and learn how to manage your stress.

This service is free, confidential, anonymous and available for all ages.

  • Agency: Project HOPE Emotional Support Helpline
  • Phone Number: (844) 863-9314
  • Business Hours: Daily: 8 AM - 10 PM

The East Harlem and Bronx Support and Connection Centers (SCC) provide a short-term treatment and stabilization program that offers services for people experiencing mental health or substance use needs. The facilities offer New Yorkers with an alternative to avoidable emergency room visits and criminal justice interventions. 

Both the Bronx SCC and East Harlem SCC only serve patients who are referred by first responders or the city’s recently expanded Behavioral Health Emergency Assistance Response Division (B-HEARD) program. SCC walk-ins are not accepted. 

SCC services include:

  • Screening and assessments
  • Counseling services
  • Short-term case management
  • Links to ongoing health and social care
  • Medically supervised substance withdrawal services
  • Access to naloxone
  • Psychiatric services
  • Peer support
  • Primary care

Referred individuals can also access other services, such as food, showers, laundry, and limited overnight stays. Stays at the center can range from hours to days, depending on the needs of the community member.  

You can contact NYC 988 to speak with a counselor and learn what mental health supports and referrals may be right for you.

  • Agency: Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
  • Division: NYC 988 Hotline
  • Phone Number: 988
  • Business Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week

Doctors, nurses and other health care providers can order copies of the NYC 988 brochure. Non-profit organizations can also request copies.

Call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675) to request a copy.

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