Self-help and support
Best Crisis Lines and Support Services in Texas
The numbers to call or text in Texas when you or someone you love is in crisis, and who each line is for.
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911 now. If you are thinking about suicide or are in emotional distress, call or text 988. You do not need to read the rest of this page first.
The lines below are for different situations: suicidal thoughts, domestic violence, sexual assault, substance use, disasters, and young people in crisis. Every number other than 911 was checked on the service's own website, or on the website of the local center it routes to, in September 2026. Unless noted, they are free to use.
1. 911
Anyone in immediate danger · 24/7
Call 911 if someone's life is in danger right now: an attempt is underway or has happened, someone has a weapon or has taken an overdose, or you cannot keep yourself or someone else safe. If you can, tell the dispatcher it is a mental health emergency.
2. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Anyone, including people worried about someone else · 24/7 · call, text or chat
Free, confidential crisis counseling for suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, or alcohol and drug concerns. Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. Spanish is available by pressing 2 when you call.
You can also call on behalf of someone else to get advice on how to help.
3. Veterans Crisis Line
Veterans, service members, Guard and Reserve, and their families and friends · 24/7, 365 days a year
Free, confidential crisis support for the military community. Dial 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat on the Veterans Crisis Line website.
4. Crisis Text Line
Anyone · 24/7 · text only
Text HOME to 741741 to reach a trained volunteer crisis counselor. It describes itself as free, 24/7 and confidential. Some people find texting easier than talking, especially when others might overhear.
5. The Center for Health Care Services — 24-Hour Crisis & Substance Use Helpline
Bexar County residents in a mental health or substance use crisis · 24 hours
San Antonio's local crisis line, run by the county's public mental health provider. It connects callers to CHCS crisis services. Call 210-223-7233 (210-223-SAFE) or 1-800-316-9241.
6. The Trevor Project
LGBTQ+ young people · 24/7, all year round · call, text or chat
Confidential and free crisis counseling for LGBTQ+ young people. Call 1-866-488-7386, text START to 678-678, or chat through its website. TTY: 1-866-803-3699.
7. National Domestic Violence Hotline
People experiencing abuse, and their friends and family · 24/7
Free, confidential support, safety planning and referrals, including help finding shelter space. Call 1-800-799-7233 (800-799-SAFE), text START to 88788, or chat on its website.
Its website now offers an automated A.I. chat as well as people. If you want to talk to a person, choose a live advocate.
- StrongHearts Native Helpline, for Native American and Alaska Native people: 844-762-8483.
- loveisrespect, the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline: 866-331-9474.
8. Family Violence Prevention Services (Battered Women & Children's Shelter)
Adults and children affected by domestic violence in San Antonio · hotline 24 hours, 365 days a year
A San Antonio 24-hour domestic violence crisis hotline, (210) 733-8810, with emergency shelter, transitional housing, counseling, and legal help for eligible clients. Services are offered in English and Spanish.
The shelter's location is not published. Start with the hotline.
9. Rape Crisis Center 24-Hour Sexual Assault Hotline
Survivors of sexual violence, their friends and family, and anyone with questions · 24/7/365
San Antonio's Rape Crisis Center answers its hotline in-house with trained advocates. Call (210) 349-7273 or use the live chat on its website. Its services are free and confidential.
10. RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
Survivors of sexual violence and their loved ones, anywhere in the US
The national hotline, 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), routes your call to a local rape crisis center. San Antonio's Rape Crisis Center lists this number on its own crisis page as another way to reach its advocates.
11. SAMHSA National Helpline
Individuals and families facing mental health or substance use problems · 24/7, 365 days a year · English and Spanish
A free treatment referral and information service. Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357), or text your ZIP code to 435748 (HELP4U). TTY: 1-800-487-4889.
It gives referrals, not counseling. If you need to talk to someone right now, use 988.
12. Disaster Distress Helpline
Anyone affected by a natural or human-caused disaster, including responders · 24/7
Crisis counseling from SAMHSA for emotional distress after floods, storms and other disasters. Call or text 1-800-985-5990. For Spanish, press 2.
13. Texas Youth Helpline
Youth, parents and family members of youth in crisis · open 24/7 · call, text or chat
A confidential line from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services for young people and families in crisis, including help finding counseling, shelter or legal information. Call or text 1-800-989-6884, or chat on its website.
Its website says it is not a reporting hotline and is not associated with law enforcement.
14. 2-1-1 Texas
Anyone in Texas · 24/7/365
The state's information and referral line. Dial 2-1-1 or (877) 541-7905 and choose option 5 for mental health and substance use services. It is not a crisis line, but it can help you find ongoing services once the immediate crisis has passed.
When you need to talk but it is not a crisis
NAMI Greater San Antonio runs a Warm Line, (210) 939-9999, staffed by trained peer specialists with lived experience. It is open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and its website says plainly that it is not a crisis line. In an emergency, it directs callers to 988 or 911. Visit the Warm Line page.
What to do after the crisis
- Save 988 and your local crisis number in your phone now, so you do not have to look for them later.
- Tell one person you trust what happened, and what helps.
- Our page on getting help with suicidal thoughts covers the next hour, what happens when you call 988, and what to do when the crisis has passed.
- If you are worried about someone else, what to say when someone is suicidal may help.
Questions people ask
Is 988 free and confidential?
Is there still an LGBTQ+ option on 988?
What is the difference between a crisis line and a warm line?
Sources
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Get help
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — FAQ
- Veterans Crisis Line
- Crisis Text Line
- The Center for Health Care Services (CHCS)
- The Trevor Project — Get help
- National Domestic Violence Hotline
- Family Violence Prevention Services — 24-hour emergency shelter services
- Rape Crisis Center — Crisis intervention (also lists 1-800-656-HOPE)
- SAMHSA — National Helpline
- SAMHSA — Disaster Distress Helpline
- Texas DFPS — Texas Youth Helpline
- 2-1-1 Texas — About 2-1-1
- NAMI Greater San Antonio — Warm Line
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Written and clinically reviewed by Jim Denning, MA, LPC. Last reviewed 23 September 2026.
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