Crisis Services
- 24/7 Crisis Hotline: Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
988 (Veterans, press 1) – www.988lifeline.org - Crisis Text Line
Text TALK to 741-741 to text with a trained crisis counselor from the Crisis Text Line for free, 24/7 - Veterans Crisis Line
Send a text to 838255 - Vets4Warriors
- SAMHSA Treatment Referral Hotline (Substance Abuse)
1-800-662-HELP (4357) - RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
1-800-656-HOPE (4673) - National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline
1-866-331-9474 - The Trevor Project
1-866-488-7386
Also visit your:
- Primary care provider
- Local psychiatric hospital
- Local walk-in clinic
- Local emergency department
- Local urgent care center
Find A Therapist/Support Group
Speaking to someone, whether by going to a therapist or by attending a support group, can help you feel better and improve your mental health. These resources can help you find a psychologist, psychiatrist, or support group near you.
- SAMHSA Mental Health Service Locator
- Psychology Today Therapist and Support Group Finder
- American Foundation For Suicide Prevention Suicide Bereavement Group Finder
- Therapist Finder through Online Therapy
- Inclusive Therapist Finder
How To Help
Ask and listen: Be an active part of your loved ones’ support systems and check in with them often. If they show any warning signs for suicide, be direct. Tell them it’s OK to talk about suicidal feelings. Practice active listening techniques and let them talk without judgment. For those with autism, being direct and concise in asking questions can be particularly important. Avoid using metaphors when possible.
Get them help and take care of yourself: Don’t be afraid to get your loved one the help they might need. The Lifeline is always here to talk or chat, both for crisis intervention and to support friends and loved ones.
Build A Support Network
You don’t have to deal with crisis on your own. Those you choose to confide in can provide encouragement and help you through a crisis.
Your World
You are part of a larger whole, and you matter. You may feel less isolated when you’re connected more to others. Consider joining an interest group, volunteering, taking a class, or starting a new hobby.
Your Social Networks
Social media is a place to share how you’re feeling and hear the stories of others who have felt the same. Connecting to people through technology may help you remember that you are not alone, and you may find others with similar interests.
Your Community
Whether your community is at work, school, church, or a club or a team, having a group of people who encourage help-seeking and support is one of the most important aspects of suicide prevention.
Your Circle Of Trust
Relationships with friends, family, and significant others built on trust and companionship are a protective factor against suicidal thoughts and behaviors. It’s important to find the people in your life that you can always confide in, feel comfortable around, and can contact at any time. Surround yourself with positive people who motivate you to be your best.
Use Your Support Network
Leaning on your support network can help you cope during difficult moments and is an important step in getting help and moving forward.
Express Yourself
During difficult situations, it’s natural to shut down, but keeping your emotions bottled up makes it harder for your support network to help you. Reach out to people you trust who have the ability to be sympathetic and non-judgmental.
Keep an Open Mind
Keep in mind that the advice and support of others come from a good place. We may not necessarily agree with advice we’re given, but staying open-minded and receptive to outside perspectives and opinions can help strengthen your support network.
Show Appreciation
The people in your support network will stick with you through thick and thin, but it’s also important to remember that friendships and relationships are a two-way street. Express your appreciation for the love and support that these special people bring into your life.
Make A Safety Plan
A safety plan is designed to guide you through a crisis. As you continue through the steps, you can get help and feel safer. Keep your plan easily accessible in case you have thoughts of hurting yourself.
- Recognize your personal warning signs: What thoughts, images, moods, situations, and behaviors indicate to you that a crisis may be developing? Write these down in your own words.
- Use your own coping strategies: List things that you can do on your own to help you not act on urges to harm yourself.
- Socialize with others who may offer support as well as distraction from the crisis: List people and social settings that may help take your mind off of difficult thoughts or feelings.
- Contact family members or friends who may help to resolve a crisis: Make a list of people who are supportive and who you feel you can talk to when under stress.
- Contact mental health professionals or agencies: Make a list of names, numbers and/or locations of clinicians, local emergency rooms, and crisis hotlines. Put the Lifeline number, 1-800-273-8255, into your phone.
- Ensure your environment is safe: Have you thought of ways in which you might harm yourself? Work with a counselor to develop a plan to limit your access to these means.
Resources for Individuals with Neurodivergence
- Warning Signs of Suicide for Autistic People (988 Lifeline)
- Crisis Supports for the Autism Community (988 Lifeline)
- Autism Resource for Warnings of Suicide: Considerations for the Autism Community
- Autistic Self-Advocacy Network
- Interdisciplinary Technical Assistance Center on Autism and Developmental Disabilites
- The Art on Autism
- Spectrum
- Building Equity and supporting BIPOC families of individuals with Autism
- American Autism Association
- Living Autism Out Loud
- Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA)
- Visit The Mighty
- National Suicide Prevention Month Episode (Autism Society, 9.2.2021)
- 988 Overview (Autism Society)
- Rate of Suicide 3 Times Higher for Autistic People (Healthline, 2021)
- Mental Health Among Autistic LGBTQ Youth (The Trevor Project)
- My Journey From Suicidal Thoughts, Hospitalization And Depression To So Much HOPE (The Art of Autism)
Other Suicide Prevention Resources
- American Association of Suicidology
- Crisis Text Line
- The Dougy Center – The National Center for Grieving Children and Families
- How to Talk to a Child about a Suicide Attempt in Your Family (Rocky Mountain MIRECC)
- The Jason Foundation
- The Jed Foundation
- Lifeline Chat
- Man Therapy
- Mental Health America
- My3 App
- National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention
- National Organization for People of Color Against Suicide
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
- Now Matters Now
- Parents, Families, Friends, and Allies United with LGBTQ People (PFLAG)
- Safety Planning Tools
- SAVE
- The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide
- StopBullying.gov
- Suicide Prevention Resource Center
- Teen’s Health
- The Trevor Project
- The Tyler Clementi Foundation
- Veterans Crisis Line
- Wounded Warrior Project