Quick answer
Is this the right kind of help?
It may fit when
Finding treatment programs and understanding mental health or substance-use service options.
It is not designed for
Diagnosis, treatment delivered by SAMHSA, emergency response, or a guarantee of placement, cost, or quality.
Service role: Treatment information and referral; not crisis counseling
What the service can help with
- Provides information about mental health and substance-use treatment.
- Refers callers to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.
- Offers English- and Spanish-language information.
What to expect when you make contact
Getting started
Callers can explain the type of mental-health or substance-use help and location they are trying to find.
During the contact
The service supplies information or referral leads for treatment facilities, support groups, and community organizations.
What comes next
The caller then contacts and evaluates the referred provider directly for availability, cost, access, and fit.
Privacy considerations
SAMHSA describes the helpline as confidential and links to its privacy policy. A referred facility is a separate provider with its own intake, records, privacy, payment, and emergency practices.
Privacy rules belong to the outside provider. Read its current terms before sharing information that could affect your decision to use the service.
Accessibility and practical checks
- Phone support is available in English and Spanish; FindTreatment.gov provides a web-based search route.
- Treatment availability, insurance, payment, documentation, transportation, and disability access vary by provider.
- People outside the United States should use a service directory or health system for their physical location.
Questions to answer before relying on it
- Are you seeking mental-health care, alcohol or drug treatment, or both?
- What location, payment, identity, language, and accessibility needs must the provider meet?
- How will you verify the license, program credentials, current openings, and total cost of a referral?
Important limits and safety notes
- The helpline provides referral and information rather than diagnosis or treatment.
- A referral does not guarantee cost, insurance coverage, accessibility, eligibility, or availability.
- Use 988 for an immediate U.S. mental health crisis.
Backup routes
Alternatives to compare
Original contribution
What YouMatter adds
YouMatter makes the handoff visible: SAMHSA supplies a lead, while the reader still has to verify the treatment provider’s license, openings, cost, access, privacy, and fit.
How this option differs
Best for treatment referral across mental-health and substance-use concerns. NIAAA offers a deeper quality framework for adult alcohol treatment; NAMI is broader information support; 988 is for immediate crisis contact.
Primary-source trail
Official information used for this profile
Each link goes to the provider or program owner. The note beside it identifies which decision fields it supports.
SAMHSA National Helpline ↗
Supports: Provider, purpose, cost, hours, languages, insurance context, and contact routes
FindTreatment.gov ↗
Supports: Web-based U.S. treatment search route