Mental Health Care
Mental health services are vital to a healthy, happy lifestyle. For people suffering from mental health problems, a local clinic can literally be a lifesaver. However, clinic services can often be extremely expensive, which can be difficult for people already struggling to earn a living. Therefore, it is vital to have access to free or low-cost health services, and the following tips can offer pathways on how to do so.
1. Local mental health clinic
Many areas offer some form of mental health clinic, often in conjunction with a general health clinic. If you don’t know where these mental health clinics are, try calling your town’s health services for a referral or an address. Alternately, you can ask your general doctor for references to a mental health clinic, or attend a general clinic for a referral.
2. Health and education services
Mental health clinics at local universities are often a great resource. Often they are student-run programs, and offer exceedingly cheap or free clinic services. If there is no university in your area offering these clinic services, try contacting the health services department of your town to see if your town has any type of clinic services set up for those who are unable to afford it. For instance, most areas offer free mental health clinics for senior citizens. If these are not run by the local governmental department, there are many non-profit organizations that keep mental health clinics specifically for certain citizens.
3. Military clinic
All members of the military and their families are entitled to free health care, usually at a military mental health clinic. If you are in some way connected with the military, either through your own service or a relative’s, contact your local superior or military office to find out if and where you are eligible to attend a clinic.
4. Internet sites
There are plenty of internet sites devoted to giving out information about mental health clinics, but there are also a number of them that offer services for finding a mental health clinic. One particularly good source is the United States Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration or the CDC Disaster Mental Health program. Both of these have resources for finding a low cost or free mental health clinic in your area.
5. Toll-free help lines
There are plenty of toll-free mental health lines that, while not technically clinics, can offer great mental health resources, depending on the particular type of mental health help sought. For instance, 1-800-SUICIDE is a great resource for those who are unable to attend a mental health clinic, but are suffering from thoughts of suicide.
