Supporting Guide · Dallas Resources
Best Mental Health Resources in Dallas (2026)
← All guides · By the Willow & Stone team · Updated September 2026
Key Takeaways
- In a mental health emergency, call or text 988, or call 911. In the City of Dallas you can ask 911 for the RIGHT Care Team.
- The North Texas Behavioral Health Authority (NTBHA) runs a 24/7 crisis line for Dallas and five nearby counties, and can send a mobile crisis team.
- Parkland Memorial Hospital runs a 24/7 Psychiatry Emergency Department in Dallas.
- Metrocare Services serves Dallas County residents regardless of ability to pay. NAMI North Texas offers free support groups and education.
- We checked every phone number on this page against each organization’s own website in September 2026.
When you or someone you love is struggling, the hardest part can be knowing who to call. This page gathers the most useful public and nonprofit mental health resources for Dallas, from 24/7 crisis lines to free support groups and a navigation line that helps families find care. For each one, we list who it serves and how to reach it. Every phone number comes from the organization’s own website as of September 2026.
The resources are ordered from most urgent to least urgent. The first five handle crises. The rest are for ongoing care, support and finding the right provider. None of them is ranked above the others; the right one depends on the situation. Phone numbers and programs do change, so if a number doesn’t work, check the organization’s website linked below each entry.
1. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Crisis · 24/7 · call, text or chat
Call or text 988, or chat online, any time of day. The Lifeline describes its service as free, confidential and available 24/7/365. Its text and chat services are also available in Spanish. You don’t need to be suicidal to call. It is also for emotional distress, a substance use crisis, or worry about someone else.
Veterans, service members and their families can call 988 and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line (see below). Crisis Text Line is another free 24/7 text option: text HOME to 741741.
Source: Crisis Text Line
2. NTBHA 24/7 Crisis Hotline and Mobile Crisis Outreach
Crisis · Dallas, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro & Rockwall counties
The North Texas Behavioral Health Authority (NTBHA) is the local mental health authority for Dallas County and five neighboring counties. Its crisis hotline is answered by a trained mental health professional 24 hours a day, every day of the year: 866-260-8000 or 844-672-5700.
NTBHA’s Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (MCOT) is also on duty 24/7 and can go to a person at home, at school or elsewhere in the community. NTBHA says it serves people of all ages regardless of ability to pay or place of residence, and it offers sliding-fee discounts for ongoing services. Its crisis page also lists a 24/7 Dallas County Deflection Center for adults.
3. RIGHT Care Team (City of Dallas)
Crisis response through 911 · City of Dallas
RIGHT (Rapid Integrated Group Healthcare Team) Care is a partnership between Parkland Health’s Behavioral Health department, the City of Dallas and NTBHA. Instead of police alone, a team with a Dallas police officer, a Dallas Fire-Rescue paramedic and a licensed social worker from Parkland Health responds to behavioral health emergencies. Parkland says the teams operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
To reach them, call 911 and ask for the RIGHT Care Team. The program covers calls within the City of Dallas.
4. Parkland Psychiatry Emergency Department
Emergency care · Parkland Memorial Hospital, 5200 Harry Hines Blvd.
Parkland Health runs a dedicated Psychiatry Emergency Department (PED) at Parkland Memorial Hospital, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. According to Parkland, the unit evaluates patients, can prescribe medication, connects people to mental health resources and arranges transfers to inpatient psychiatric units when needed. Stays are generally up to 48 hours.
Parkland is Dallas County’s public hospital system. For outpatient behavioral health care, Parkland’s site directs people who are unsure where to start to its Patient Access Center at 214-266-4000. In an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
5. Suicide & Crisis Center of North Texas
Crisis line · 24/7 · free
This long-running Dallas nonprofit staffs a 24/7 crisis line with trained volunteers at 214-828-1000. It also offers a text line on Saturday and Sunday evenings from 6 to 10 p.m. at 972-533-3323. The center says all of its services are free to the community.
It also runs a Survivors of Suicide program for people who have lost someone to suicide, which can be hard to find elsewhere.
6. Metrocare Services
Ongoing care · Dallas County · all ages
Metrocare describes itself as the largest provider of mental health, developmental disability and permanent supported housing services in Dallas County, serving more than 50,000 children, teens and adults each year. It offers outpatient mental health care, including psychiatric services, counseling and case management, at clinics across the county.
Metrocare says it serves any Dallas County resident regardless of ability to pay. It accepts Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, private insurance and self-pay, and uninsured patients may qualify for free services after a financial assessment. General line: (214) 743-1200. For a crisis, Metrocare directs people to the NTBHA hotline above.
7. NAMI North Texas (formerly NAMI Dallas)
Free support & education · Dallas, Rockwall, Denton & Collin counties
The local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness offers free education, advocacy and support. It does not provide medical or clinical services. Programs include a free monthly NAMI Family Support Group, Connection Recovery Support Groups for adults living with a mental health condition, and the free eight-session Peer-to-Peer and Family-to-Family classes. The old namidallas.org address now redirects to NAMI North Texas.
Its helpline gives general information about local resources from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at (214) 341-7133. The national NAMI HelpLine is also available at 1-800-950-6264 on weekdays. Neither is a crisis line.
Caveat: The group schedule on NAMI North Texas’s site is posted as an image. Call to confirm current times and locations.
Source: NAMI HelpLine
8. UT Southwestern Multispecialty Psychiatry Clinic
Academic psychiatry · Empire Plaza, 1430 Empire Central Drive
UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas’s academic medical center, offers outpatient psychiatry and psychology services. Its Multispecialty Psychiatry Clinic at Empire Plaza is a good option for complex diagnoses and second opinions. New-patient appointments: 214-645-8500.
Some clinics at academic centers ask for a referral from your current provider, and wait times can be long. Check the clinic page for current requirements and which insurance plans are accepted.
9. Grant Halliburton Foundation: Mental Health Navigation Line & Here For Texas
Finding care · youth and families
This Dallas-based foundation focuses on the mental health of children, teens and young adults and on suicide prevention. Its free Mental Health Navigation Line connects callers with resources tailored to their situation, and navigators speak Spanish: 972-525-8181, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The foundation notes that this is not a crisis line.
Its Here For Texas site is a searchable database of Texas mental health providers and resources, which is useful when you are trying to find a therapist or program that fits your insurance, age group and location.
Mental Health Navigation Line →
Source: Here For Texas
10. Veterans Crisis Line
Crisis · veterans, service members & families
Dial 988 then press 1, or text 838255, to reach responders trained to support veterans. The Veterans Crisis Line says the service is 24/7 and confidential, and that you don’t need to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to use it. Family members and friends who are worried about a veteran can call too.
11. SAMHSA National Helpline and FindTreatment.gov
Treatment referral · 24/7 · English and Spanish
SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), is a free, confidential treatment referral and information service for people facing mental health or substance use disorders. It is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. SAMHSA’s FindTreatment.gov lets you search for licensed treatment facilities near a Dallas ZIP code and filter by payment type, including Medicaid and sliding-scale fees.
Source: FindTreatment.gov
Which resource should you use?
If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. In the City of Dallas you can ask for the RIGHT Care Team. For a mental health crisis that is not a medical emergency, call or text 988 or call the NTBHA hotline, which can send a mobile team. If you need ongoing care and cost is a barrier, start with Metrocare or NTBHA’s clinic referrals. If you are a family member trying to understand a diagnosis or find support, NAMI North Texas and the Grant Halliburton navigation line are good first calls.
Mental Health America of Greater Dallas is also a long-standing local advocacy group. At the time of our check, its website said some programs were paused during a restructuring, so we have not listed it above.
Private and telehealth options
Private practices can often see patients sooner than public systems, especially for medication management, ADHD evaluations and second opinions. Willow & Stone offers telehealth integrative psychiatric care to adults across Texas, including Dallas, and accepts insurance for Texas patients. For a comparison of private options, see our ranked guides below.
Common Questions
What number do I call for a mental health crisis in Dallas?
Call or text 988 at any time, or call the NTBHA 24/7 crisis hotline at 866-260-8000. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. Within the City of Dallas you can ask for the RIGHT Care Team.
Where can I get low-cost mental health care in Dallas?
Metrocare Services serves Dallas County residents regardless of ability to pay, and uninsured patients may qualify for free services after a financial assessment. NTBHA also offers sliding-fee discounts and clinic referrals.
Is there a psychiatric emergency room in Dallas?
Yes. Parkland Memorial Hospital runs a Psychiatry Emergency Department that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Any hospital emergency department can also evaluate a mental health emergency.
Are NAMI North Texas support groups free?
Yes. NAMI North Texas says its family support groups, recovery support groups and education classes are free. Call its helpline to confirm current times.
Who can help me find a therapist in Dallas?
The Grant Halliburton Foundation’s free Mental Health Navigation Line (972-525-8181, weekdays 10 a.m.–6 p.m.) and its Here For Texas database can help. So can the NAMI North Texas helpline.
Sources
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