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Finding support can feel overwhelming, especially when a young person or family is already exhausted. This guide separates immediate crisis options from ongoing treatment and support directories so you can choose the next step that fits the situation.
GLOW shares this information for education and connection. GLOW is not an emergency service, crisis line, counselor, treatment provider, or medical authority.
If there is immediate danger
If you or someone else is in immediate danger or needs emergency medical help, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
GLOW does not offer emergency or crisis response. Use 911 or 988 as appropriate instead of relying on a website channel.
If someone is struggling or in crisis
Call or text 988 or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
The official 988 Lifeline describes the service as free, confidential, and available 24/7. People do not have to be suicidal to contact 988. Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services says Kentuckians can use 988 for a mental health or substance use crisis and can be connected with emotional support and local resources.
You can also contact 988 when you are concerned about someone else and need help thinking through the next step.
Kentucky community mental health crisis services
Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services maintains information about the state’s regional community mental health centers and crisis services.
- Kentucky Crisis Prevention & Response System
- Kentucky Division of Mental Health
- Kentucky county-by-county community mental health center and crisis information
The state pages should be treated as the authority for current regional contact information. Because provider assignments, phone numbers, and service availability can change, this GLOW guide does not copy the full county directory.
Finding ongoing mental health or substance use treatment
FindTreatment.gov is a service of the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. It allows visitors to search for mental health and substance use treatment services by location and other filters.
SAMHSA also lists its National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for treatment referral and information. Visitors can verify current details on the SAMHSA National Helpline page.
Other starting points can include a young person’s primary care clinician, a school or college counseling office, a health-insurance directory, a Kentucky community mental health center, or a licensed professional recommended by a trusted clinician.
These are starting points, not guarantees that a specific service will be available, affordable, accepting new clients, or right for every person.
Questions to ask a provider or program
- Are you licensed to provide this service in Kentucky?
- Do you work with this age group?
- What experience do you have with grief, trauma, violence, anxiety, depression, or the concern we are bringing?
- Are you accepting new clients?
- What are the cost, insurance, and payment options?
- Is telehealth available, and is it appropriate for this situation?
- What happens in the first appointment?
- How do you handle an urgent concern outside appointment hours?
- What privacy rules apply to a minor, young adult, parent, or caregiver?
Do not rely on a website summary for a confidentiality promise. Ask the provider directly how privacy, consent, records, and family involvement work in the specific situation.
Support at school, college, work, and home
Ongoing support can include more than appointments. With the young person’s permission and appropriate privacy safeguards, helpful support may involve a school counselor, trusted teacher, coach, faith leader, mentor, workplace contact, family member, or another steady adult.
The goal is not to make one person responsible for everything. It is to build a small, reliable circle and connect the young person with qualified care when needed.
If the first option is not a fit
A poor fit does not mean support will never help. A person may need a different provider, style, schedule, location, or level of care. If it is safe to do so, ask what did not work and use that information when considering the next option.
When the situation becomes urgent, return to 988, emergency services, or the appropriate crisis resource rather than waiting for a routine appointment.
About this directory
GLOW does not rank providers, accept payment for inclusion, or guarantee availability. External sites control their own content and privacy practices. Verify service area, age range, credentials, cost, insurance, hours, accessibility, and current availability directly with the provider or official directory.
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