Mental Health Resources for Libraries

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - If you or a loved one are in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, dial 1-800-273-8255 to speak with a crisis counselor at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

CRISIS Text Line – US & Canada Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor – free 24/7 support

Texas Mental Health Crisis Services – Crisis hotline numbers of the local mental health or local behavioral health authority counties in Texas, provided by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services

Screening Tools

Mental Health America – Take A Mental Health Test – offers a variety of online screening tools intended to provide a quick snapshot of someone's mental health, followed by related resources, information, and tools

National Organizations and Resources

Aunt Bertha - a social care network that connects people seeking help and verified social care providers. Find food assistance, help paying bills, and other free / reduced cost programs in your zip code, including new programs for the COVID-19 pandemic.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – one of the nation’s largest nonprofit mental health organizations. NAMI offers mental health education and outreach programs serving families, individuals and educators, nationally and through the local community. Your local NAMI Affiliate or NAMI State Organization can help you register for NAMI programs or find resources in your community. NAMI groups and courses are free to join, and membership is not required to attend.

National Council for Mental Wellbeing – national nonprofit that advocates for policies that ensure that people who have mental health and substance use disorders have access to comprehensive, evidence-based health care services. They also offer education and practice improvement consulting and resources to ensure services are efficient and effective. Library workers should know that that the National Council introduced Mental Health First Aid to the United States and that while most of their training is intended for behavioral health care providers, they occasionally offer webinars and related training that library workers may find beneficial.

Mental Health America – national nonprofit whose programs and initiatives fulfill their mission of promoting mental health and preventing mental illness through advocacy, education, research and services. Special website highlights include their Live Mentally Healthy and Find Help resources, as well as educational webinars. 

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) –  the lead federal agency for research on mental disorders. NIMH is one of the 27 Institutes and Centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the largest biomedical research agency in the world. NIH is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In addition to expert-reviewed information on mental health disorders, library workers should know that the NIMH website houses statistical information on mental health in the U.S. as well as brochures and fact sheets that libraries may download/print or order free or charge.

MedlinePlus - Mental Health – high quality, easy to understand online information resource; a service of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the world's largest medical library, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSA) – federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation and to improve the lives of individuals living with mental and substance use disorders, and their families.

Texas Specific Resources

211 Texas - Mental Health Resources – a program of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the 211 Texas Mental Health Resources page provides state and local resources related to housing and treatment services for those with mental health issues. Visit the 211 Texas Guided Search page for more comprehensive state and local resources related to food, housing, childcare, and other health and human services. You can also dial 211 to speak with someone and receive assistance locating these services no matter where you live in Texas - the hotline is staffed 24/7 365 days a year. 

NAMI Texas – Texas affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) with 27 local Affiliates throughout Texas. NAMI Texas has a variety of education and support programs directed to individuals living with mental illness, family members, friends, professionals, other stake holders, and the community at large to address the mental health needs of Texans.

Texas Health and Human Services - Community Support Guide for Alternatives to Inpatient Mental Health Treatment – helps people better understand mental health care in Texas. This guide provides basic information regarding the services available across the state and the organizations that can help people get connected to these resources.

Texas Health and Human Services – Where Can I Find Services? - will help you locate offices that can help you with aging, disability, behavioral health and intellectual or developmental disabilities services -- enter a Texas county or zip code to search. If you aren’t sure what type of service you need, call 855-937-2372 to talk to a trained professional.

Finding Therapy

NAMI: Your Journey – Finding A Mental Health Professional – NAMI's guidance on finding a mental health professional includes tips on how to find mental health care that fits your cultural background

Mental Health America – Finding Therapy – resources to help find mental health treatment services, including affordable treatment for those without insurance, in your community

VeryWellMind – How to Choose the Right Therapist for You – detailed considerations to keep in mind when choosing a therapist, includes information about online therapy

Finding Peer Support Groups

NAMI - Support Groups – links to search tools that allow you to search for local support groups for individuals as well as families/caregivers

NAMI Texas Support Groups

Mental Health America – Find Support Groups

Self-Care

Healthline - How to Make a Self-Care Checklist that Actually Works for You

Mental Health First Aid - How and Why to Practice Self-care

National Institute of Mental Health - Caring for Your Mental Health

Culturally Specific Resources

NAMI - Identity and Cultural Dimensions

TeenVogue - 52 Mental Health Resources for Disabled People, POC, LGBTQ Folks, and More

BIPOC Specific Resources

NAMI Latinx/Hispanic , NAMI Black/African American , NAMI Asian American and Pacific Islander , and NAMI Indigenous resource pages

Mental Health America – BIPOC Mental Health

NAMI New Hampshire - BIPOC Resources

Justdavia – 16 Directories for Therapists of Color

LGBTQ Specific Resources

The Trevor Project -- national organization providing free 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth under 25 via phone (1-866-488-7386), text (text “start” to 678678), or online instant chat messaging

Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860. This is a crisis hotline by and for the transgender community.

NAMI - LGBTQI Info and Resources

Mental Health America - LGBTQ+ Communities and Mental Health

Healthline – Tips for Finding a Healthcare Provider Who’s a LGBTQ+ Ally

Veteran Specific Resources

SAMHSA - Supporting the Behavioral Health Needs of Our Nation's Veterans

Texas Health and Human Services - Mental Health Program for Veterans - HHSC and the Texas Veterans Commission partner to administer the Mental Health Program for Veterans, which provides peer-to-peer counseling to service members, veterans and their families through local mental health authorities and local behavioral health authorities across the state.

US Department of Veterans Affairs - Mental Health Resources and Support

US Department of Veterans Affairs - Veteran Crisis Line

Training for Library Workers

Mental Health First Aid – a course that teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis. (Texas library workers who are interested in this training should contact their local mental health authority and identify themselves by library type. Depending on grant availability, this training may be available free of charge to Texas public library workers. Texas public school library workers and library workers of public and private higher education institutions can receive this training for free.) 

InfoPeople - Mental Health Initiative – Infopeople partnered with the California State Library to provide a variety of training opportunities as part of its Mental Health Initiative (link is external) in 2018. Visit this page for a link to a free self-paced online course, From Compassion to Action: Serving Those With Mental Health Challenges in the Library, as well as links to 10 recorded webinars on mental health topics with library relevance produced in 2019.

Building Compassionate Communities – another great resource to come from the California State Library's Mental Health Initiative, this free self-paced course is based on a series of online courses developed by Infopeople, and mentor teams comprised of librarians and mental health professionals that explored the concept of Building Compassionate Communities. Topics covered include understanding trauma, trauma stewardship, community outreach and partnerships, and library mental health programming amidst COVID-19.

California Mental Health Initiative Videos – six videos that were produced as part of the California State Library’s Mental Health Initiative to increase the state’s libraries’ ability to better serve library patrons affected by mental illness. This series addresses different aspects of library patrons affected by mental illness and how library staff can best respond. Topics covered include how to establish a positive staff culture around mental health/illness, compassion fatigue, dos and don’ts when interacting with patrons affected by mental illness, how to establish a positive relationship with disruptive patrons, and how to address patrons complaining about individuals experiencing mental health challenges in the library.

Caring for the Mind: Providing Mental Health Information at Your Library – part of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine's (NNLM) current training offerings, this class teaches participants how to effectively provide mental health information at their libraries. This class can be taught in one, two, three, or four-hour versions. Contact NNLM for more information and please note that although registration is only open to NNLM members, membership is free.

The Connected Library: Vetting and Partnering with Social Service Providers - this archived webinar from May 2020 was presented by Patrick Lloyd, LMSW and Community Resources Coordinator for the Georgetown Public Library (Texas). This webinar explores why it is imperative that libraries connect with social service providers in their communities, how to cultivate these connections, and tips to make sure the agencies you work with are effective, ethical partners.

Organizations and Communities for Library Workers

LIS Mental Health – created in 2016, the goal of the LIS Mental Health project is to create a space where all library workers and information professionals can connect with each other to discuss issues relating to mental health. Visit this space for information about upcoming events, access to an annual zine, and resources compiled and vetted by other information professionals.

Association of Mental Health Librarians – professional organization of individuals working in the field of mental health information. Its members come from a variety of settings: inpatient hospitals, academic and research institutions, psychiatric and psychological agencies, and more. AMHL provides opportunities for its members to enhance their professional skills and strengthens the role of the librarian within the mental health community.

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