Depression can hit anyone, and figuring out where to actually get help in Los Angeles can be overwhelming, especially when you’re already struggling.
So we put together one place with crisis help, free and low-cost resources, therapy, psychiatric care, peer support, youth services, LGBTQ+ resources, veteran support, and ways to find longer-term treatment.
Last checked: September 2026.
Please feel free to add other legitimate Los Angeles resources in the comments.
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If you need help right now
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text: 988
You do not have to be suicidal to contact 988. You can reach out if you are depressed, overwhelmed, having a mental-health or substance-use crisis, worried about someone else, or simply need someone to talk to.
It is available 24/7, free and confidential by phone, text and online chat. (988 Lifeline)
Spanish:
* Call 988 and press 2
* Text AYUDA to 988. (988 Lifeline)
For Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing callers, 988 also offers videophone access, and callers can use a relay service or dial 711 before 988. (988 Lifeline)
Los Angeles County Mental Health Help Line
Call: 800-854-7771
This is one of the most useful numbers for anyone living in LA County.
The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health operates the line 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It can provide:
* Mental-health support
* Screening and assessment
* Crisis counseling
* Referrals to local treatment
* Help locating ongoing mental-health services
* Crisis assessments
* In-person crisis-response teams when appropriate
* Assistance accessing psychiatric inpatient care when necessary
* Interpreter services
(Department of Mental Health)
LA County also operates Alternative Crisis Response, which can send mental-health clinicians and community health workers to some behavioral-health crises as an alternative to a traditional police or paramedic response. Start by calling 800-854-7771. (Department of Mental Health)
When should I call 911 instead?
Call 911 when there is an immediate medical emergency, fire, crime, or an immediate threat to someone’s physical safety.
For a mental-health, emotional, substance-use or suicidal crisis where immediate police/fire/medical intervention is not required, 988 or LA County’s 800-854-7771 line are generally the places to start. (Didi Hirsch)
You can also go directly to the nearest emergency room if you believe you may hurt yourself, cannot keep yourself safe, or need emergency psychiatric evaluation.
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Not suicidal, but really struggling?
You can still call 988.
A lot of people assume 988 is only for someone who is about to attempt suicide. It isn’t. The service specifically says people can contact it when depressed, going through a difficult time, in emotional distress or simply needing someone to talk to. (988 Lifeline)
There is also a California peer-support option:
CalHOPE Warm Line
Call or text: 833-317-HOPE (4673)
This is more of a “I need someone to talk to” resource than an emergency line. Peer counselors support people dealing with stress, anxiety, depression and difficult life circumstances and can connect callers with additional resources. (CalHope)
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Need actual treatment, not just a crisis line?
LA County Department of Mental Health
Start with:
800-854-7771
Tell them:
“I’m dealing with depression, and I’m looking for ongoing mental-health treatment near me.”
LA County works with directly operated and contracted mental-health providers throughout the county. Services can include:
* Mental-health assessments
* Individual therapy
* Group therapy
* Psychiatric medication
* Case management
* Crisis intervention
* Recovery programs
* Housing and employment-related support for eligible clients
(Department of Mental Health)
The County also has an online Mental Health Provider Directory, which can be filtered to find services near you and is regularly updated. (Department of Mental Health)
This can be especially useful if you have Medi-Cal, limited income or aren’t sure where to begin.
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If you have health insurance
You can also contact the mental/behavioral-health number on the back of your insurance card and say you are looking for treatment for depression.
Ask specifically for:
* A therapist accepting new patients
* Psychiatry if you want a medication evaluation
* Telehealth options
* Providers close to your ZIP code
* Providers who specialize in depression
* Your copay or deductible before making the appointment
LA County also maintains links to Medi-Cal health-plan resources for plans including L.A. Care, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield Promise, Health Net and Molina. (Department of Mental Health)
Don’t assume therapy will be expensive before checking your coverage.
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If you don’t have much money or don’t have insurance
Start with these:
LA County Mental Health Help Line:
800-854-7771
211 LA:
Dial 211
211 LA operates 24/7, supports multiple languages, and can connect people with mental-health care as well as related problems that often make depression worse: housing, food, health care, employment assistance, and other social services. (211 LA)
LA County also has county mental-health centers and contracted nonprofit providers across Metro LA, the Westside, South LA, East LA, the Valley, South Bay, San Gabriel Valley and Antelope Valley. (Department of Mental Health)
Don’t let a lack of private insurance stop you from calling.
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Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services
Didi Hirsch is one of Southern California’s major nonprofit mental-health organizations and is also heavily involved in operating 988 services in the Los Angeles area.
For Didi Hirsch services:
888-807-7250
General information:
310-390-6612
They provide mental-health treatment, suicide-prevention services, youth services, individual therapy, family/group therapy, support groups and substance-use treatment. (Didi Hirsch)
For information specifically about suicide-prevention counseling and groups in LA County, Didi Hirsch lists:
424-362-2911
For LA County residents with Medi-Cal, Didi Hirsch directs people to 888-807-7250. (Didi Hirsch)
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Want to talk to people who have actually been through it?
NAMI Greater Los Angeles County
NAMI GLAC offers free mental-health support groups, education, and resources throughout Los Angeles County. (NAMI Greater Los Angeles County)
Their NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group is a free, confidential, peer-led group for adults who have experienced symptoms of a mental-health condition.
Groups may meet weekly, every other week or monthly depending on location, with some offered virtually. (NAMI Greater Los Angeles County)
NAMI Greater LA:
213-386-3615
This can be a particularly good option for someone who isn’t ready for formal therapy but doesn’t want to deal with depression completely alone.
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Help for teenagers
Teen Line
Teen Line connects teens with trained teen counselors.
Call: 800-852-8336
6 PM–10 PM Pacific
Text TEEN to 839863
6 PM–9 PM Pacific
The service is confidential and designed specifically for teenagers who need someone their own age to talk with. (Didi Hirsch)
For an immediate crisis outside those hours, call or text 988.
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LGBTQ+ mental-health help in Los Angeles
Los Angeles LGBT Center
The Center provides:
* Individual therapy
* Couples therapy
* Family therapy
* Group therapy
* Psychiatry
* Depression treatment
* Anxiety treatment
* Trauma/PTSD treatment
* Substance-use treatment
* Support groups
They offer in-person and telehealth care, accept many insurance plans and offer sliding-scale services based on ability to pay. (Los Angeles LGBT Center)
Mental Health & Psychiatry appointments:
323-993-7500, Option 3
Main location:
1625 N. Schrader Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028
(Los Angeles LGBT Center)
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Veterans, active-duty service members and their families
Veterans Crisis Line
Call 988 and press 1
or
Text 838255
The Veterans Crisis Line is available 24/7, free and confidential, including for veterans who are not enrolled in VA health care or VA benefits. (Veterans Crisis Line)
Family members and loved ones concerned about a veteran or service member can also reach out.
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Pregnant, postpartum, or struggling after having a baby?
National Maternal Mental Health Hotline
Call or text: 1-833-TLC-MAMA
1-833-852-6262
Available 24/7, free and confidential.
Professional counselors can provide immediate emotional support and connect callers with local support groups and health-care professionals. Partners and family members can also call. (Maternal and Child Health Bureau)
Postpartum depression and anxiety are treatable, and this service is specifically designed for people dealing with mental-health difficulties during and after pregnancy.
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Want to find your own therapist, psychiatrist, or treatment program?
SAMHSA Treatment Locator
The federal FindTreatment.gov service lets you search confidentially for mental-health and substance-use treatment providers by location.
It can be useful if you’re looking for:
* Outpatient therapy
* Psychiatric care
* Intensive outpatient treatment
* Residential treatment
* Substance-use treatment
* Programs specializing in serious mental illness
It is also available in Spanish. (SAMHSA)
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You can also start with your regular doctor
If calling a mental-health organization feels overwhelming, make an appointment with your primary-care doctor and simply say:
“I’ve been feeling depressed and it’s affecting my life. I want help.”
Primary-care doctors routinely deal with depression. They can screen you, discuss treatment options, rule out some physical conditions that can contribute to depression, prescribe medication when appropriate or refer you to a therapist or psychiatrist.
You don’t need to know exactly what kind of treatment you need before asking for help.
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Check whether your job has an EAP
If you’re employed, your company may have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
EAP programs often provide a limited number of confidential counseling sessions at no cost and can help you locate longer-term treatment.
Search your company benefits portal for “EAP,” “Employee Assistance,” “Mental Health,” or “Behavioral Health.”
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College and university students
If you’re enrolled at UCLA, USC, Cal State LA, CSUN, LMU, community college, or another local school, check your school’s health or counseling center.
Many colleges provide students with short-term counseling, crisis support, referrals, and other mental-health services as part of student health services.
If you’re in immediate crisis, don’t wait for a campus appointment—use 988, 800-854-7771, an emergency room, or 911 when appropriate.
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Depression mixed with housing, money, food, or other problems?
Mental health doesn’t exist in a vacuum.
If you’re struggling with depression and things like eviction, homelessness, food insecurity, unemployment, domestic problems, or inability to afford health care, call:
211 LA
Dial 211
They can help navigate multiple services instead of making you figure out every agency separately. Their resource system includes mental health, housing, food, health care, employment, family services, LGBTQ+ services, veterans services, disability services and more. (211 LA)
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If you’re worried about someone else
You can call 988 yourself and ask how to help someone you’re concerned about. 988 specifically supports people calling about a loved one in crisis. (Didi Hirsch)
You don’t have to have the perfect words.
Try something simple:
“I’ve noticed you haven’t seemed like yourself lately. I’m worried about you. Do you want to talk?”
If you’re worried they may be thinking about suicide, it’s okay to ask them directly.
And if the situation becomes an immediate medical or safety emergency, call 911.
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The numbers worth saving
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988 — 24/7
LA County Mental Health Help Line
800-854-7771 — 24/7
211 LA
211 — 24/7
CalHOPE Warm Line
/
833-317-4673
Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services
888-807-7250
Teen Line
800-852-8336
Text TEEN to 839863
NAMI Greater Los Angeles County
213-386-3615
Los Angeles LGBT Center – Mental Health
323-993-7500, Option 3
Veterans Crisis Line
988, press 1
838255
Maternal Mental Health Hotline
/ 1-833-852-6262
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One last thing:
Depression can make even tiny tasks like making a phone call, searching for a therapist, getting dressed for an appointment feel like enormous ones.
You don’t have to solve everything in one day.
Sometimes the first step is literally just calling 988 or 800-854-7771 and saying:
“I’m depressed, and I don’t know where to start.”
That’s enough to start.
If anyone knows of a genuinely helpful Los Angeles-specific therapist program, free support group, community clinic, or other mental-health resource, add it below. Please avoid advertising or posting unverified services.
Maybe this thread can make finding help a little easier for the next person who needs it.
