I Need Help Finding Mental Health Care
Serious illness, caregiving, dying, and grief can affect sleep, mood, anxiety, functioning, and the ability to keep going.
You don’t have to know the diagnosis or which kind of mental-health professional you need before asking for help.
If what you mainly need is someone to listen, grief support, spiritual care, or peer support, use I Need Emotional or Spiritual Support →
Describe What Has Changed
Start with what you’re seeing, not what you think the diagnosis is.
“She’s barely sleeping, frightened most of the day, and this is getting worse.”
“I’m caring for someone around the clock, and I’m not functioning anymore.”
“Someone close to me died, and I’m having trouble managing basic daily life.”
Tell them:
- what changed
- when it started
- whether it’s getting worse
- what daily activities are no longer happening normally
- whether pain, medication, alcohol, or other drug use may be involved
Changes in functioning often tell the clinician more than a label does.
If someone who’s very sick says they want it to be over, see I Want This to Be Over →
Start With Someone Who Already Knows the Person
If there’s a primary-care clinician, oncology team, palliative-care team, hospice team, or other clinician already involved, start there for a non-emergency concern.
Say:
“We’re seeing changes in mood, sleep, anxiety, and daily functioning. Can someone assess what’s happening and tell us what kind of help fits?”
Ask whether a medical or medication-related cause also needs to be checked.
A sudden change in thinking, behavior, or alertness can be medical. Contact a clinician promptly rather than assuming it’s a mental-health problem.
If no clinician is involved, call the health plan’s behavioral-health number, a community mental-health center, or a community health center.
If you’re the caregiver and you’re the one struggling, start with your own doctor. The person’s hospice or care team may also offer support for family.
If You’re Trying to Find a Therapist or Psychiatrist
Ask:
- Are you accepting new patients?
- How soon can someone be seen?
- Is the first visit an assessment or ongoing treatment?
- Do you take this insurance?
- If medication may be needed, who handles that?
Therapy and medication are often handled by different clinicians. Ask who will handle each one.
A name in an insurance directory doesn’t mean that person is accepting patients. Call and confirm.
If the person needs both mental-health and substance-use care, say that during the first call.
“Can you assess and treat both problems?”
If No One Is Accepting New Patients
Don’t stop at the first no.
Ask:
“Who’s accepting patients now?”
Also ask about:
- cancellation appointments
- telehealth
- another clinician in the practice
- short-term or group care while waiting
- whether primary care can help in the meantime
If another referral is made, confirm that the next provider received it.
If the Person Is Getting Worse While Waiting
Don’t rely on an appointment weeks away if things are changing now.
Say:
“The appointment is on [date], but things are getting worse now. What can we do before then?”
Ask about an earlier assessment, cancellation appointment, urgent behavioral-health visit, or another provider.
If the answer is simply to wait, ask:
“Who should we call if waiting is no longer safe or manageable?”
If Cost or Insurance Is the Problem
Ask the health plan which in-network providers are accepting new patients now and what the visit will cost.
If access is still blocked, community health centers and national treatment directories may help.
Confirm availability, cost, and insurance directly with the provider.
Before You Stop
Know:
- who’s assessing the person
- whether they’re accepting new patients
- when the person can be seen
- whether medication requires another clinician
- what to do if symptoms worsen before care begins
If this can’t safely wait, call or text 988. For immediate danger, call 911.
Don’t spend weeks trying to find the perfect provider while the person is getting worse. Find the next clinician who can see them, and keep moving from there.
Helpful Resources
Find community health centers that serve people regardless of ability to pay and may offer sliding fees based on income.
Find mental-health and substance-use treatment services and confirm availability directly with the provider.
Learn More
Helps people look at symptoms, daily functioning, when to seek professional help, and when immediate help is needed.
