Local and National Resources

Learn about local and national agencies that can assist individuals and families with food, shelter, caregiver needs, mental health and drug and alcohol abuse prevention programs.

Employees who need family or financial assistance can contact one of these local agencies and organizations:  

• 211 AZ connects people with services and resources in their local communities who are in need of assistance as a result of lost wages because of event cancellations, business closures and COVID-19 quarantine. Call 211 within Arizona or 877-211-8661 from anywhere.
• Arizona Food Bank Network is a network of food banks, pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other emergency food services.
• Area Agency on Aging offers programs and services for family caregivers,  adults age 60 and older, adults with HIV and AIDS and individuals with disabilities and long-term care needs. A 24-hour senior helpline is available at 602-264-4357 or  888-264-2258. For the hard of hearing and deaf, TEXT, 520-775-1899.
• Arizona Department of Economic Security offers employment and family assistance.
• Caregiver Action Network provides education, peer support and resources to family caregivers free of charge. Call the caregiver help desk at 855-227-3640.
• Community Action Agencies offer a list of contacts by county for utility and mortgage assistance, eviction or foreclosure prevention assistance, rental deposits and emergency shelter.
• Connections AZ - Urgent Psychiatric Care provides assessment and intervention, walk-in urgent care clinic and overnight observation unit. Crisis care centers provide access to a range of mental health and substance use services. Call 602-416-7600 for Maricopa County. Call 520-301-2400 for southern Arizona.
• Lost Our Home offers 60 and 90-day boarding for pets that have an owner who has lost housing and would like to take them back when housing is secured. 
• Prepare to Care: A Caregiving Planning Guide for Families assists with developing a care plan for loved ones. AARP also provides care guides for families of diverse communities.
• The Warm Line is a free and confidential telephone service in Maricopa County staffed by peers who experienced behavioral health challenges. Callers in need of someone to talk to receive peer support and compassion. Call 602-347-1100 anytime.

These resources provide crisis intervention services and hotlines for urgent needs.

• Crisis 988 Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.
• Crisis Response Network offers a crisis response and stabilization hotline at 602-222-9444. Also available is a 24-hour peer-run line at 602-347-1100. Peer-support specialists offer support and compassion for callers who need to talk to someone.
• Crisis Text Line offers live crisis counseling to help you move from a hot to cool moment.  A trained crisis counselor receives the text and responds from a secure online platform. Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the United States.
• Disaster Distress Helpline is a national hotline dedicated to providing immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster. This toll-free, multilingual and confidential crisis support service is available to all residents in the United States and its territories. Stress, anxiety, and other depression-like symptoms are common reactions after a disaster. Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline services and resources are available anytime in more than 200 languages. All calls are free and confidential. Call 1-800-799-SAFE or 7233.
• RAINN stands for Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network and offers help to survivors. Other programs offered include sexual violence prevention. The network runs the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE or 4673.
• The Trevor Project provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ adults under 25. Contact a counselor anytime using one of these communication channels:
  • TrevorChat is available on the organization's homepage.
  • TrevorLifeline, 866-488-7386,
  • TrevorText is confidential. Text START to 678-678.
• Veterans Crisis Line offers free, confidential support for veterans with a trained responder. The service is available anytime to all veterans even if they are not registered with the VA or enrolled in VA healthcare. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and press 1 or text to 838255. People who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have hearing loss can call 1-800-799-4889.

These resources provide services for various behavioral and mental health needs. 

• Alcoholics Anonymous is available via email, phone and online forum meetings.
• BEAM, Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective is a group of advocates—yoga teachers, artists, therapists, lawyers, religious leaders, teachers, psychologists—committed to mental health and healing of Black communities. A referral network of therapists is available in the Resource section. 
• BIPOC Mental Health brings awareness to the needs of Black, Indigenous and People of Color. Mental Health America provides educational information and resources to support the needs of diverse communities.  
• LGBT National Help Center provides peer support, community connections and information about sexual orientation or gender identity. Contact one of the following resources for assistance.
  • LGBT National Hotline, 888-843-4564.
  • LGBT National Senior Hotline, 888-234-7243 
  • LGBT National Youth Talkline, 800-246-7743.
• Mental Health America Screenings offers screenings, information, resources and tools to help you understand and improve your mental health.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness helps people find mental health resources in their community. The NAMI helpline is available Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Eastern Time. Call 1-800-950-NAMI or 6264. Text NAMI to 741-741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor to receive free crisis support via text message.
• National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network is a healing justice organization committed to transforming mental health for queer and trans people of color. 
• Smart Recovery offers free support meetings. This is open to anyone seeking science-based, self-empowered addiction recovery. 
• Calm app: Free resource page with meditations, stories and music to support your mental and emotional wellness. 
• Greater Good Magazine provides science-based insights for a meaningful life. 
• Headspace - Weathering the Storm offers meditations, sleep, and movement exercises.
• PsychCentral Mental Health Resource provides articles and blogs on mental health-related issues.

The following resources are for individuals, couples and families seeking long-term mental health services. Employees should visit the employee benefits guide for details about coverage and how to search for health providers within their insurance network. All state employees can use telehealth for mental health care services. Visit the Arizona Department of Administration Benefits Telehealth webpage for details. 

Therapist referral directories 

Employees seeking therapists from these directories should verify their current health insurance is accepted by the chosen provider. The Employee Assistance Office also is available to assist employees seeking a therapist.

• Psychology Today offers detailed listings of mental health professionals.  
• Inclusive Therapists referrals that celebrate all identities and abilities.
• Therapy in Color provides a mental health directory, which allows Black, Indigenous, and people of color to connect with culturally aware therapists in their area.
• Online specific therapy services: TalkSpace and BetterHelp
• United Behavioral Health Clinician Search provides a directory of providers to Optum members. Registration is required.