Scroll down for the resource table of hotlines/warmlines and Milwaukee mental health resources. If you need immediate help/have an immediate concern of harm to yourself/others, then call 911.
What is Mental Health?
Mental health is a spectrum. Mental health has to do with how we think, feel, and act. Like physical health, we can take care of our wellbeing with our activities and with help from others, especially professionals. It is your emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how you think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how you handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. It affects all ages, including the youngest of kids.
Why is it important to seek mental health services?
If you are hurting yourself, are hurting others, or think you might do so, it is important to reach out for help immediately. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) for help, or dial 911 for an emergency response where you are.
Just like when we see a doctor for physical health concerns, we can reach out to trained professionals for our mental health concerns. Some reasons to reach out are when you (or someone you know):
- Are feeling very stressed and/or hopeless, like you're at “the end of your rope”;
- Feel like your thoughts, feelings, or behaviors are getting in the way of your daily responsibilities, your work, and/or your relationships;
- Have or are currently experiencing a big life event that is challenging (major illness, loss of a loved, divorce or relationship problems, job problems, substance abuse concerns, etc.);
- Feel your emotions or behaviors have changed drastically (extreme mood swings, lots of anger, violent behavior, change in eating habits);
- Just want someone else on your team for support and guidance.
You are not alone! Everyone needs help at some point in their life. Sometimes the answer is not so clear. That’s okay. If it's not an emergency but you want to talk to someone about these issues, call the NAMI hotline (National Alliance on Mental Illness) for guidance at (800) 950-6264 (NAMI). Here are some other phone numbers or online chats you can use if you are in crisis, if you need questions answered, or if you just want someone to listen.
Mental Health Hotlines, Help Lines, Text Lines, & Support Groups
How to Make an Appointment
If you have health insurance, mental health should be covered. To be completely sure that your visit will be covered, contact your health insurance carrier to make sure that the provider you have chosen is covered under your insurance (if they are an “in-network” provider). If they are not, ask your carrier for a list of the providers in your area that are covered.
Here are some questions to ask when making a appointment, if they don’t offer this information when you call:
- Are you accepting new patients?
- Do you accept my insurance?
- When is the next available appointment? (let them know dates/times that work for you)
- Ask what you need to bring to your first appointment?
- What supports/interventions can I access or can you suggest while I am waiting for my appointment? If the wait for an appointment seems too long, contact your health insurance carrier and ask for help.
If you feel that you need immediate help, call 9-1-1 or your local police department.
Tips
- Ask the provider to send any paperwork that needs to be filled out. This way you can take your time filling it out and not feel stressed at the time of your appointment.
- Document your conditions. Be sure to take notes of what triggers are or what behaviors you are noticing. Document these for at least one week, longer if possible, so your provider can see the any patterns that may be occurring.
- Before your first appointment, make sure you have your insurance card. If you have not received it prior to your appointment, call your insurance carrier to get it. If you cannot get it in time for your appointment have your insurance carrier contact the provider with the information. This will make your appointment go more smoothly. Be sure to remember the paperwork that you filled out.
Know Your Rights; Get Help If They Are Violated
- Contact Disability Rights Wisconsin (DRW) (414) 773-4646 OR 800-928-8778.
Local Milwaukee Area Mental Health Resources
For a full set of resources including the ability to search based on category, type of client served, and payment accepted, check out the MHA Wisconsin website.
