Mental Health Resources

Phone Services

  • National Alliance for Mental Illness-Chicago (NAMI Chicago) Helpline 833-626-4244 (trained counselors available M-F, 9am – 5 pm)
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 (trained counselors available 24 hours a day/7 days a week)
  • City of Chicago Domestic Violence Helpline 1-877-863-6338
  • Illinois Helpline for Opioids and Other Substances 1-833-2-3463-4357
  • Veterans Crisis Line 1-800-273-8255
  • Eating disorder hotline 1-844-639-8653

Services in Chicago

  • This website serves as a tool to help find behavioral health and social service resources in Chicago: http://chicagoconnects.org/index.shtml
  • If you’re ready to start taking care of your mental health, below are a few Chicagoland area resources to get you started
    • The Chicago Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) Chicago Connects.
      • Chicago Connects provides listings of clinics and hospitals that provide mental health services. It also has information on 24-hour hotlines, peer support groups and on substance use disorders
    • The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Chicago
      • NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization and is dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
      • NAMI Chicago is a branch of NAMI dedicated to individuals in the Chicagoland area
      • On this website, you will find 24/7 hotlines, links to shelters for adults/youth, resources for LGBTQ+ identifying people, links for help with substance use disorders, sexual assault and domestic violence survivors and veterans.
    • The Center for Contextual Change
      • With three offices in the Chicago area, this center is a private group practice offering a range of behavioral and therapeutic services for all people. They offer sliding scale and pro bono sessions for anyone facing financial barriers to mental health services
    • Community Counseling Centers of Chicago
      • This is a behavioral health advocate and social service provider that offers quality, comprehensive customer-oriented services to a diverse clientele.
    • Haymarket Center
      • This is a non-profit agency working to change the public’s view of alcoholism and its treatment. It provides comprehensive treatment to individuals struggling with alcohol and other drug addictions.
    • Heartland Alliance
      • One of the world’s leading anti-poverty organizations, Heartland Alliance provides services to individuals who belong to endangered populations including those who are poor, isolated and displaced.
    • Thresholds
      • Located at 4101 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, Thresholds provides services and resources for persons with serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders in the Chicagoland area. They work with many populations including youth, young adults, veterans, young mothers, deaf and individuals experiencing homelessness.
    • Womencare Counseling Center
      • Located at 1740 Ridge Avene in Evanston, Womencare Counseling provides a variety of therapies, trainings and resources to adults, teens, couples, families and communities in the face of trauma, loss and life’s different transitions.
    • Metropolitan Family Services
      • This organization provides and mobilizes services aimed at strengthening families and communities in the Chicagoland area. They offer a variety of services and their staff includes licensed clinical social workers, counselors, case managers, mental health professionals, early childhood educations and lawyers.

Hotlines

  • For hotlines or crisis situations, the following services are available
  • Call 24/7 hotline: 1-800-273-(TALK) 8255
  • Crisis Text Line:
    • Text 741741 for a 24/7 crisis text line – a live, trained crisis counselor receives the text and responds quickly
    • Serves anyone, in any type of crisis
  • Illinois Warm Line: 1-866-359-7953. Available Monday-Friday from 8am-5pm
  • Presence Behavioral Health 24/7 Crisis Line: 708-681-HELP (4357)

LGBTQ+ Crisis Lines

  • Trevor Project Lifeline: 1-866-488-7368; available 24/7 and free
  • TrevorText: Text the word START to 678678. Available 24/7
  • TrevorChat: 24/7 online chat portal available through The Trevor Project’s Website
  • THRIVE Lifeline: +1-313-662-8209. Available 24/7, you must be 18 years or older to call
  • SAGE LGBT Elder Hotline: 877-360-LGBT (5428); available 24/7, toll-free
  • Trans Lifeline: +1-877-565-8860; available 24/7.
    • It is staffed by transgender people and is primarily for transgender people in crisis, from struggling with gender identity to thoughts of self-harm
  • GLBT National Help Center:
    • Provides telephone, online chat and email peer-support. They speak with callers of all ages about bullying, workplace issues, HIV/AIDS anxiety, coming out…etc.
    • Toll-free national hotline: 1-888-843-4564
      • Available on Monday-Friday from 4pm to 12am EST, and Saturday from 12pm to 5pm EST
    • Youth Talkline: 1-800-246-7743
      • Available:
        • Monday-Friday 4pm to 12am EST
        • Saturday 12pm to 5pm EST
      • This service is for teens and young adults up to age 25
  • For a more comprehensive list of counseling and outpatient services that are available in the Chicagoland area, visit the following website: http://www.noshameonu.org/chicagoland

Intersectional Narratives

  • The Collected Schizophrenias by Esmé Weijun Wang
    • This collection of essays conveys Wang’s journey through life with various diagnoses: schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, and late-stage Lyme disease. All of these illnesses are what some may call ‘invisible illnesses’ or ‘contested illnesses’, and Wang attempts to communicate what her life feels like to those around her.
  • Brave Face by Shaun David Hutchinson
    • In this courageous and thoughtful memoir, Shaun takes readers through his struggle with depression and how that relates to his identity as a gay man. In his story, Shaun details the obstacles he must overcome in order to eventually embrace himself
  • Not All Black Girls Know How to Eat by Stephanie Covington Armstrong
    • In this first-person narrative, Armstrong describes her struggle as a Black woman with a disorder that is typically considered to be a ‘white woman’s problem.’ Although she eventually realizes she needs help in order to overcome her self-struggle and survive, Armstrong answers many questions society might have about why Black women don’t typically seek help for emotional or psychological problems.
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness – Personal Stories: https://www.nami.org/personal-stories
    • A collection of online stories about real people dealing with several mental illnesses