Chapter 10.9
Crisis and Support Directory
Everything below was checked in early October 2026. Numbers and services change. Confirm on the organization's website before relying on one, and put the ones you might need into your phone contacts now. Each service sets its own policies on privacy, recording and when it may contact emergency services; those policies are on the service's website.
| Situation | Contact |
|---|
| Someone is in immediate physical danger or has a life-threatening medical emergency | 911 |
| Possible poisoning or overdose, including medication | Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222 (or 911 if the person is unresponsive or not breathing) |
| Service | How to reach it | Notes |
|---|
| 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline | Call or text 988; chat at 988lifeline.org | For anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, or worried about someone else. Spanish-language support available. The website lists options for Deaf and hard of hearing people. |
| Veterans Crisis Line | Dial 988, then press 1; text 838255; chat at veteranscrisisline.net | For veterans, service members, and their families and friends. |
| Crisis Text Line | Text HOME to 741741 | Text-based crisis support with trained volunteer counselors. |
| The Trevor Project | Call 1-866-488-7386; text START to 678-678; chat at thetrevorproject.org | For LGBTQ+ young people. |
| Disaster Distress Helpline | Call or text 1-800-985-5990 | For distress related to natural or human-caused disasters. Useful for rural founders after fire, flood or storm damage. |
| National Domestic Violence Hotline | Call 1-800-799-7233; text START to 88788 | For anyone experiencing abuse or afraid in a relationship. |
988's "press 3" option for LGBTQ+ youth was discontinued in July 2025 and restored on September 30, 2026 after Congress funded it. Call 988 and press 3; if you text, follow the prompts. Check 988lifeline.org for current status. The Trevor Project's own lines above also operate.
| Service | How to reach it | What it's for |
|---|
| NAMI HelpLine | 1-800-950-6264 (1-800-950-NAMI); text "NAMI" to 62640; Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET | Information, referrals and support for people with mental health conditions and their families. Not a crisis line; NAMI refers crisis calls to 988. |
| SAMHSA National Helpline | 1-800-662-4357 (1-800-662-HELP) | Free treatment referral and information for mental health and substance use, 24/7, English and Spanish. |
| Trans Lifeline | 877-565-8860; translifeline.org | Peer support run by and for trans people. Staffed Monday–Friday, 1–9 p.m. ET (10 a.m.–6 p.m. PT); hours change, so check the website. |
| State warmlines | Search "[your state] warmline" | Peer-run lines for when you want to talk but aren't in crisis. Hours vary. |
| Quitline for tobacco and nicotine | 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) | Connects to free state quitline services. |
| Eldercare Locator | 1-800-677-1116; eldercare.acl.gov | Local services for older adults and their caregivers. |
| Resource | Where | Use it for |
|---|
| FindTreatment.gov | findtreatment.gov | SAMHSA's locator for mental health and substance use treatment, filterable by payment options. |
| Health center finder | findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov | Federally qualified health centers, with sliding-fee discounts based on income. |
| Open Path Psychotherapy Collective | openpathcollective.org | Nonprofit network of reduced-fee therapists: one-time $65 membership, then $40–$70 per individual session, $40–$80 for couples and family, $30 with student interns; for households under $100,000 without adequate insurance (as of 2026). |
| Psychology Today therapist directory | psychologytoday.com | Search by location, insurance, specialty, fee and telehealth. |
| Your insurer's directory | Member portal or the number on your card | In-network therapists and psychiatrists; ask about out-of-network reimbursement. |
| University training clinics | Search "[nearby university] psychology clinic" | Lower-cost therapy from supervised trainees. |
| CBT-i Coach | App stores (published by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) | Free companion app for insomnia treatment. |
| Rethinking Drinking | rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov | Federal self-assessment and tools for checking your drinking. |
| Group | Where | Notes |
|---|
| NAMI support groups | nami.org | Free peer-led groups for people with mental health conditions (NAMI Connection) and for family members. |
| DBSA support groups | dbsalliance.org | Free peer-led groups for depression and bipolar conditions, in person and online. |
| Alcoholics Anonymous / Narcotics Anonymous | aa.org / na.org | Meetings in person and online. |
| SMART Recovery | smartrecovery.org | Science-based peer recovery meetings, in person and online. |
| Founder peer groups | See Chapter 10.4 | Self-organized groups, online communities, EO and EO Accelerator (revenue thresholds apply), SBDC and accelerator cohorts. |
Fill this in and keep it where you'll find it on a bad day: your phone's notes, a card in your wallet, a sheet taped inside a cupboard.
MY SUPPORT CARD
Crisis: 988 (call or text) | Text HOME to 741741 | 911
My clinician: ______________________ phone: ______________
My doctor: ______________________ phone: ______________
Person I call: ______________________ phone: ______________
Backup person: ______________________ phone: ______________
Peer group: ______________________ next meeting: ________
My warning signs: ________________________________________________
What helps: ________________________________________________
Safety plan kept: ________________________________________________
- Fill in the support card. Done when: every line has an entry, or a note of what you'll do to fill it.
- Put 988, Crisis Text Line and your one "person I call" in your phone favorites. Done when: they're reachable in two taps.
- Tell your "person I call" that they're on your card. Done when: they know, and you've asked whether you can be on theirs.
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