Your initial steps after recognizing a mental health need may involve connecting with your primary care team. You can schedule an office visit to discuss mental health concerns, medication refills, and follow-up care. Your primary care team may also utilize screening tools during office visits to identify potential mental health concerns, enabling them to provide appropriate resources and/or treatment options.
Always remember, finding the help you need is a sign of strength, not weakness.
Adult mental health resources
Call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room if you or someone you know is in a life-threatening situation.
Call or text 988
Get help right away if you have thoughts of suicide or harming others. Call or text 988 if you or someone you know is in immediate danger. You will be connected with trained crisis counselors at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. An online chat choice is also available at 988lifeline.org. Lifeline is also available by calling 800-273-TALK (800-273-8255). Lifeline is free and available 24/7.
Hotlines
- Austin Travis County Integral Care Crisis Hotline
512-472-HELP (512-472-4357) - Bastrop County Family Crisis Center hotline
512-303-7755 - Hays County 24 Hour Crisis Hotline
1-877-466-0660 - Medicaid Mental Health and Substance Abuse Information
1-800-600-4441 (For CHIP, STAR, STAR+PLUS Members) - National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
800-950-6264
Text “Helpline” to 62640 - National Domestic Violence Hotline
800-799-7233
Text 'START' to 88788 - SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline
Call or text 1-800-985-5990 - Texas Youth Helpline
1-800-98-YOUTH (1-800-989-6884) - The Trevor Project
1-866-4-U-TREVOR (1-866-488-7386)
Text 'START' to 678-678 - Trans Lifeline
1-877-565-8860 - Williamson County 24-hour Crisis hotline
1-800-841-1255 - Williamson County Mobile Crisis Outreach Team
512-943-3545
Psychiatric hospitals
Austin
Georgetown
Round Rock
Community resources
Psychiatric help/resources
Insurance websites
The most important thing you can do is call your insurance plan or employer's HR department for in-network options.
Finding help
The American Psychological Association recommends seeking assistance from a trained mental health expert if you experience:
- Constant worry
- The feeling of being trapped
- No improvement after using self-help approaches
- Feeling as if you can't handle things alone
- Your feelings affecting your job, relationships, sleep, or eating habits
Consider finding help if someone you are close to suggests that you go to counseling, or if you have an untreated problem with substance abuse. These are only some of the symptoms that call for getting help. You may have other symptoms that concern you.
These are the types of professionals who provide mental health services:
Psychiatrist
Psychiatrists have an MD or DO in their credentials. Psychiatrists are medical care providers with at least four years of specialized study and training in psychiatry after medical school. They can provide medical and psychiatric evaluations, treat disorders, provide psychotherapy, and prescribe and keep track of medicines.
Psychologist
If you are looking for a counselor/therapist, search for someone who has a PhD, LPC, or MSW in their credentials. Psychologists do psychological testing and evaluations. They are also trained to treat emotional and behavioral problems and mental disorders. They also provide psychotherapy and behavior modification. Psychologists do not prescribe or keep track of medicines.
Social worker
A social worker has a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree and is licensed to practice social work. A licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) can assess and treat psychiatric illnesses and do psychotherapy. Social workers do not prescribe or keep track of medicines.
Psychiatric or mental health nurse
This is a specially trained nurse with a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree. Mental health nurses can assess and treat illnesses. They do case management and psychotherapy. In some states, some psychiatric nurses with advanced training can prescribe and keep track of medicine. They are called advanced practice registered nurses.
Licensed professional counselor
A counselor has a master's degree in psychology, counseling, or a similar discipline and has postgraduate experience. Licensed counselors may provide services that include diagnosis and counseling. They do not prescribe or keep track of medicines.
Before seeing any mental health provider, make sure they have proper training and experience in your area of concern. For licensed professionals, you can check the state's division of occupational and professional licensing to make certain the person is licensed. You can also check as to whether or not there is any pending disciplinary action against the individual.
You also have the right to choose a provider who can meet your cultural concerns. What's most important is that your therapist is someone you feel comfortable communicating with. It's perfectly normal for it to take some time and a few interviews to discover a therapist who best caters to your needs.
Call your insurance company
You may contact the Member Services department for your insurance company at the number on the back of your insurance card or visit your insurance company's website for a list of in-network mental health providers.
The cost of counseling services depends on whether you choose a public or community-based provider, or one in private practice. Geographic area (for instance, rural versus urban) also affects the cost of care, as does the health insurance coverage you have.