The Access HelpLine at 1(888)7WE-HELP or 1-888-793-4357 is the easiest way to get connected to services provided by the Department of Behavioral Health and its certified behavioral health care providers. This 24-hour, seven-day-a-week telephone line is staffed by behavioral health professionals who can refer a caller to immediate help or ongoing care. The Access Helpline can activate mobile crisis teams to respond to adults and children who are experiencing a psychiatric or emotional crisis and are unable or unwilling to travel to receive behavioral health services.
Maryland’s Helpline is available 24/7 to provide support, guidance, and assistance. Please call 211 and select option 1, text your zip code 898-211, or visit 211MD.org
For help in Northern Virginia: Emergency – 703-573-5679 Detox – 703-502-7000 (24/7) or to find a Virginia Mental Health Service provider, or to inquire about accessing CSB non-emergency services, call CSB Entry and Referral Services (available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) – 703-383-8500, TTY 711. Youth and adults can also come in person, without prior appointment, to Entry & Referral Services at the CSB’s Merrifield Center Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to be screened for services. [Learn what happens during an assessment.]
Specialists at the National Alliance on Mental Illness can refer people to services a person might not know about for treatment and community support. The free hotline runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday at 800-950-6264 and by email at info@nami.org. It’s unclear if the hotline would be unavailable on holidays.
Emergency services available 24/7 A 24/7 toll-free number is 1-800-273-8255. Known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, it connects people to local crisis centers and has national backup centers to answer calls.
Another 24/7 free service, Crisis Text Line, connects people with a real-life crisis counselor to help in the moment. Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the U.S. for support.