Mental health resources for students
We are a student-led education nonprofit, not a treatment provider. If you need help right now, or you're trying to figure out where to start, the resources below are free, confidential, and available to young people. We've organized them by what you might be looking for rather than by which organization runs them, because that's how it actually feels when you're searching.
If you need to talk to someone right now
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988, any time, from anywhere in the US. Free and confidential. You do not have to be in immediate danger to call; they take calls from people who are overwhelmed, anxious, or just need someone to talk to.
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741. If talking on the phone feels like too much, this connects you with a trained crisis counselor entirely over text.
Support at your school
Most schools have counselors whose job includes supporting student mental health, not only class schedules and college applications. A counselor can listen, help you build a safety plan if you are struggling, connect you with outside resources, and coordinate accommodations. What they generally cannot do is provide ongoing therapy themselves. Their role is support and referral, not long-term treatment.
Conversations with a school counselor are usually confidential, with a few exceptions: if there is a risk of serious harm to you or someone else, or a suspicion of abuse or neglect, they are required to involve other adults, including your parents. Outside of those situations, a single conversation about stress or a hard week at home typically stays between you and the counselor.
If you are worried about your parents being contacted, you can usually request a meeting directly, by talking to the counselor, using an online request form, or asking a trusted teacher to help, without automatically triggering a call home.
If a mental health condition affects your ability to learn, you may qualify for a 504 Plan (classroom accommodations like extra time or breaks) or an IEP (specialized instruction). A counselor or case manager can walk you through the process.
Finding a therapist
Not all mental health professionals do the same job. A therapist (sometimes called a counselor or clinician) is trained to provide talk therapy for things like anxiety, depression, or stress, but cannot prescribe medication. A psychologist has a doctoral degree, can provide therapy and psychological testing, and in most states also cannot prescribe medication. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can diagnose conditions, prescribe and manage medication, and sometimes also provides therapy. Many people see a therapist for ongoing sessions and a psychiatrist only for medication, if medication is part of their care.
To find a therapist, online directories like Psychology Today's Find a Therapist tool let you filter by location, age group, insurance, and specialty. SAMHSA's National Helpline and treatment locator (samhsa.gov or 1-800-662-4357) is another free starting point.
“Sliding scale” means a provider adjusts their fee based on what you or your family can afford, which can make therapy possible even without insurance covering the full cost. If cost or insurance is a barrier, look into your local community mental health center, which provides services on a sliding scale or regardless of ability to pay. Ask a school counselor, a trusted adult, or contact us if you are not sure where to start. Figuring out the first step is often the hardest part.
We keep this page updated, but phone numbers and programs change. If you find something here that's out of date or broken, please tell us at team@thementalwellnessproject.org so we can fix it for the next person.