Call for Help
9-1-1 – Imminent danger for self and others.
2-1-1 – Centers contacted through this number provide comprehensive services in addiction counseling, affordable housing, Alzheimer’s assistance, child care, debt counseling, disaster relief, donation opportunities, education, emergency food, food banks and soup kitchens, ESL, financial assistance, homeless services, job counseling, parenting programs, psychotherapy, senior citizen programs, suicide prevention, telephone reassurance & care for the elderly, volunteer opportunities, and youth programs.
Suicide Prevention Hotlines
If you are suicidal, remember that most of these people are trained volunteers, not professionals. There is often a range of variability in how you experience the person who picks up. If you sense a mismatch, please thank the person, say goodbye, hang up and immediately call another line. Each number has a set of volunteers ready to answer.
Care for yourself in this self-sorting process by breathing deep and slowing it way down. As you can, focus on systematically relaxing different muscle groups. You are absolutely worth all it takes to find a good (not perfect!) fit for solid support.
Stay open to each person and be honest as best you can. Continue dialing until you reach a helpful connection. Rest. Breathe. Relax. Repeat. Do nothing except stay safe and reach out. Crying is fine. Let all that pain out as it comes. Let all thoughts just pass in, through and out. In a crisis, thoughts often narrow to obsess over worst case hypotheses, which have less than one percent chance of actually being true. Don’t buy in or give them energy. Get help!
Other Hotlines
Online Resources
BEBA supports families to resolve both physical and emotional pre- and perinatal birth and other early trauma while facilitating the development of compassionate relationships, the healthy growth of children, and effective parenting.
A worldwide organization of trained volunteers dedicated to preventing suicide and supporting those who are lonely or depressed. Provides free, immediate, confidential and nonjudgmental support, and also serves as a resource for loved ones desiring to help. Available by telephone, in person, text, letter or e-mail in 10 languages and 41 countries. Onsite, follow the links to the helpline of your choice.
For anyone fearing for his or her personal safety from another, this site features an anonymous, free online threat assessment questionnaire. Retaliation is always possible and scary: whether via divorce or breakup, a student against a school/university, or a person against judicial or public figures. Just fill out this free, automatically scored confidential questionnaire to more objectively assess your actual risk in order to take appropriate action to ensure your safety and well-being.
Information, text or live chat on issues concerning healthy dating relationships for teens, LGBT youth, and young adults.
Safe havens for you and your pets.
The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP): since 1960, professionals and volunteers in over fifty countries work with the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent suicide. If you feel suicidal or know of someone who is, go online and browse Help for a crisis center near you.
An international program of men helping men reconnect and evolve as mature, accountable and compassionate men living whole, active, empowered lives.
Educational materials, experts’ articles, personal stories, and more to help you cope with depression, grief, suicide, or any mental or emotional difficulty you or your loved one may be experiencing.
An online crisis network with all volunteers trained and certified in crisis intervention.
On demand, instant emotional health & wellbeing for anyone. Go online for anonymous, confidential support.
Provides low- to no-cost bi-lingual prevention, detection and intervention programs for children, parents and families across a full spectrum of problems, from initial parent-child bonding to helping parents and children recover from domestic violence, drug addiction, child abuse or neglect. Also provides referrals, resources and information. Serves Santa Barbara County.
All facets of domestic violence are addressed, including emergency shelter. Serves Santa Barbara County.