How to Find Quality Mental Health Services

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), one in four adult Americans experiences a mental health disorder within a given year. Mental Health services come in many different forms, from private therapists who provide one-on-one individualized counseling and support, to residential programs that focus on specific areas of mental health like substance abuse or serious psychiatric illness. For those needing a quality mental health provider, there are a number of helpful resources available for you to find the one that is best suited for your needs.

Instructions

• 1

  Use the free mental health service locator tool by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSA). This free on-line interactive tool allows you to search for mental health providers by state, city or zip code and allows you to filter results for specific criteria such as inpatient services and residential care.

• 2

  Contact your local Mental Health America (MHA) affiliate. MHA is a national non-profit that connects mental health providers across the county and provides them with training, education and referrals. The MHA also has a free mental health provider locator tool on their website that will allow you to browse and contact affiliate providers within your state. Affiliate providers have undergone training with MHA and are upheld to specific ethical guidelines and expectations.

• 3

  Use the Therapist Directory at Psychology Today. Psycology Today offers a free private counselor locator tool on their website that is useful for finding private practitioners in your area. Therapists have individual profiles and summaries of their back-round, training, areas of specialization and contact information.

• 4

  In case of emergency, use the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This 24 hour free hotline [phone]-TALK) is designed not only to offer on the spot crisis prevention and counseling but provide community referrals to those with immediate mental health needs. The hotline is staffed by trained counselors who are experienced in handling mental health emergencies.