Mental health crisis: do this now

Call or text 988

988 is free and confidential, by call, text or chat. You do not have to be suicidal to call. [1]
In Spanish: dial 988 and press 2, or text AYUDA to 988. [1]
TTY users can use their relay service, or dial 711 and then 988. [1]
Veterans and service members: call 988 and press 1, or text 838255. [1]

Your county's crisis line

A medical or life-threatening emergency: call 911 or go to the nearest hospital now. [2]
Any other crisis: call 988, or the 24-hour crisis number for your county on the state's list. [2]
In the Louisville area, Seven Counties' crisis line is 502-589-4313, open 24 hours. [3]

See every county's crisis number

[2]

Numbers to call

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
988
Call or text. Free and confidential. Spanish: press 2, or text AYUDA to 988.
[1]
Seven Counties Crisis Line (Louisville area)
502-589-4313
Local crisis support, 24 hours a day.
[3]
Kentucky 211
211
Food, rides, housing and other local help, any time. Or text your ZIP code to 898211.
[4]

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Full guide and fine print

Sources

These are the recorded source dates, not a fresh check. Each entry names the claim it supports; a listing or contact does not confirm current availability.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Get Help
Checked 2026-10-07.
https://988lifeline.org/get-help/
- Call or text 988, fact 1: 988 is free and confidential, by call, text or chat. You do not have to be suicidal to call.
  Recorded source wording:
  Using the 988 Lifeline is free. When you call, text, or chat the 988 Lifeline, your conversation is confidential. … People do not have to be suicidal to call.
  Back to Call or text 988, fact 1
- Call or text 988, fact 2: In Spanish: dial 988 and press 2, or text AYUDA to 988.
  Recorded source wording:
  To call a Spanish-speaking counselor, dial 988 and then press 2. To text with a Spanish-speaking counselor, text AYUDA to 988.
  Back to Call or text 988, fact 2
- Call or text 988, fact 3: TTY users can use their relay service, or dial 711 and then 988.
  Recorded source wording:
  For TTY Users: Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988.
  Back to Call or text 988, fact 3
- Call or text 988, fact 4: Veterans and service members: call 988 and press 1, or text 838255.
  Recorded source wording:
  Veterans, active service members, and their loved ones can reach the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) 24/7/365 by calling 988 and pressing 1, texting 838255 or chatting
  Back to Call or text 988, fact 4
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988. Call or text. Free and confidential. Spanish: press 2, or text AYUDA to 988.
  Back to 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Kentucky CHFS — Community Mental Health Center crisis numbers
Checked 2026-10-07.
https://www.chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dbhdid/Pages/crisisnos.aspx
- Your county's crisis line, fact 1: A medical or life-threatening emergency: call 911 or go to the nearest hospital now.
  Recorded source wording:
  If you think you may have a medical or life-threatening behavioral health emergency or your condition becomes life-threatening, please call 911 or go to the nearest hospital immediately.
  Back to Your county's crisis line, fact 1
- Your county's crisis line, fact 2: Any other crisis: call 988, or the 24-hour crisis number for your county on the state's list.
  Recorded source wording:
  For all other behavioral health crises, please call 988 or the 24-Hour Crisis Number listed below for your county.
  Back to Your county's crisis line, fact 2
- See every county's crisis number: See every county's crisis number
  Back to See every county's crisis number
Seven Counties Services
Checked 2026-10-07.
https://www.sevencounties.org/
- Your county's crisis line, fact 3: In the Louisville area, Seven Counties' crisis line is 502-589-4313, open 24 hours.
  Recorded source wording:
  If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, help is available 24/7. … Seven Counties Crisis Line 502-589-4313 Local crisis support for our community
  Back to Your county's crisis line, fact 3
- Seven Counties Crisis Line (Louisville area): 502-589-4313. Local crisis support, 24 hours a day.
  Back to Seven Counties Crisis Line (Louisville area)
Kentucky 211
Checked 2026-10-07.
https://kentucky211.org/
- Kentucky 211: 211. Food, rides, housing and other local help, any time. Or text your ZIP code to 898211.
  Back to Kentucky 211

Full guide and fine print

Step-by-step plans, what to bring, the rules behind each step, and their sources.

Your plan

5 steps, in the order that works. Select any step for the full instructions.

Do this first. Call 911 if you are in danger. More info.
Do this first. Call or text 988. More info.
Step 1 of 5. Ask about a Crisis Stabilization Unit. More info.
Step 2 of 5. Ask for a mobile crisis response. More info.
Step 3 of 5. Text instead of speaking. More info.
Step 4 of 5. LGBTQ+ young people. More info.
Step 5 of 5. Arrange ongoing care in your county. More info.

Answer these to shorten your plan

[data-journey-question]{display:none}Choosing answers needs JavaScript. Follow the full plan above, choose another Journey guide, or call 211 for local help.

Optional. Answers stay in this browser tab; they are not placed in the address, sent to No One Left Outside or used to decide eligibility. Skipping every question gives you the full plan above.

Which task needs attention after immediate safety?

Can you get to a place that offers help?

Is a phone call possible right now?

Progress stays in this browser tab and is never sent to No One Left Outside.

Start here

Your first action

Packet

Do this now

Immediate physical danger or a medical emergency? Call 911. For crisis support, call or text 988; ongoing county-serving care is a separate step.

Next: 988 crisis support across Kentucky

Call or text 988, 24/7 (Dial 988)

Ask: Ask for crisis support and the next local contact. Tell the counselor if you need Spanish, relay or disability access; a call does not establish a bed, appointment or mobile response.

Not in Louisville? Outside the Louisville region: your regional crisis line

Call or text 988 (Dial 988)Find your region's crisis line

Seven Counties serves the Louisville region. Kentucky's crisis-system page lists the community mental-health-center crisis route for every other region, and 988 works statewide. Neither confirms dispatch, hospitalization, or an appointment.

Situation: You don't have to do this alone. Crisis support comes first; ongoing care can follow.

What you need to startUse what you have. Missing items do not block the first call.

Have ready if available

A safe place to make the call
Current medications and prescriptions
Insurance or coverage information, if available
A contact person who can help if transportation is needed

Missing something? Ask what can be reviewed; do not wait to call.

If the first route fails

If a county-specific contact is needed or ongoing care is the next task: Use Kentucky's official county directory to contact the regional community mental health center. Ask about intake, cost or coverage, and how to proceed without a phone, documents or transport.

Find the county-serving mental-health center

Keep the regional crisis line active; local lines can connect to local services.

Last checked 2026-09-30 · Kentucky · official source: CMHCs and psychiatric hospitals alphabetically by county

What remains uncertain: Crisis line capacity, inpatient availability, covered services, and follow-up care options are determined by the provider. This page does not diagnose, dispatch, or promise placement.

Universal preparation guidance · checked 2026-08-05 · Jurisdiction-neutral

Programs under one organization can differ. Provider information · Methodology

Keep the plan moving

If the first route is closed or you cannot use it

A closed office, unanswered call, or unavailable device does not prove that you are denied or that a service is unavailable. This guide lists some options, not every possible route. If it is safe to do so, ask for another appropriate contact and keep the original task open.

The office or line is closed

Record what failed and when. Use a listed same-day alternative if one exists, and keep the original call or application as a separate follow-up.

See things that may help today

You cannot use the phone or website

Check for another published channel or ask a trusted helper to open the route with you. Share only the minimum information needed. If no workable channel is listed, that gap remains unknown.

Check the official routes

Related resources can offer another path, but a listing does not confirm current hours, capacity, eligibility, or acceptance. Review related resources.

What this guide cannot promise

Reviewed guidance only. Fees, timelines, eligibility, document substitutes, capacity, and provider practices are not published unless supported by a named source. Confirm current requirements directly.

How to read checked, listed, and unknown informationA listing can stay useful without being provider confirmed.

Checked fact or route: No One Left Outside matched the fact to the named source on the date shown. This is not proof of current availability or provider confirmation.
Directory lead: A listing that may still help remains visible with an honest status such as Possibly active or Needs verification.
PROVIDER CONFIRMED: Only named fields backed by linked first-party provider evidence, integrity checks, and attributed human approval may carry this state. No One Left Outside never infers it from a website, import, likely fit, or contact attempt.
UNKNOWN / Needs verification: No One Left Outside does not know the answer yet. Confirm it directly; this is not a claim that the resource or option does not exist.

Each step in full

The same steps as the plan above, with the instructions for each one.

Do firstCall 911 if you are in danger
Sensitive guide · stays in this tab only · nothing is sent
Do this
Immediate physical danger or a medical emergency is a 911 call, not a crisis-line call.
- Say where you are first, before anything else.
- If it is safe to, stay with the person until help arrives.
- Follow the emergency dispatcher's instructions; this guide does not determine which response is sent.
Ways to get help for this step
- 911 — immediate danger or a medical emergency
  Immediate physical danger or a medical emergency, anywhere. No One Left Outside does not dispatch or monitor any response.
  Call 911
Limits and what to confirm
- What any particular emergency response will do on arrival. No One Left Outside does not dispatch, monitor, or confirm any response.
Why this step is here
First and unnumbered. This is not step one of a process; it is the decision that overrides the rest of the page.
What was checked, and what is still unknown
Still unknown
- What any particular emergency response will do on arrival. No One Left Outside does not dispatch, monitor, or confirm any response.
Back to your plan
Do firstCall or text 988
Sensitive guide · stays in this tab only · nothing is sent
Do this
988 is free, confidential, and staffed around the clock, for a crisis and for the hours before one.
- Call or text 988. A Veteran presses 1 after dialling, or texts 838255. A Spanish speaker presses 2, or texts AYUDA to 988.
- Kentucky's crisis-number directory lists the regional crisis line for every county. In the Seven Counties region around Louisville, Seven Counties Services publishes its own Crisis & Information Center on (502) 589-4313, staffed 24 hours a day every day of the year, and operates a local 988 team.
- 988 is also a safe place to talk before a crisis happens. You do not have to be at the worst point to use it.
Ways to get help for this step
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text, anywhere
  Free and confidential, by call, text or chat, anywhere in Kentucky.
  Call 988
- Your county's regional crisis line — Kentucky directory
  Find the regional crisis line for your county. A listing does not confirm a bed, appointment or mobile response.
  Open official route →
- Seven Counties Crisis & Information Center — Louisville-area region only
  Seven Counties region around Louisville only, 24 hours a day.
  Call (502) 589-4313
Limits and what to confirm
- The directory has a conflicting Gallatin entry. Confirm the regional assignment with the center; 988 remains a statewide crisis route. A listed contact does not confirm a bed, appointment or mobile response.
- How long a wait is, and what any counsellor will offer or advise. No One Left Outside does not operate or monitor either line.
Why this step is here
Also unnumbered, because it is the same kind of decision as the one above it — a route to a person, right now, not a task with a next step.
What was checked, and what is still unknown (3)
Official sources checked (3)
- 988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineGet Help
  Establishes: The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is reached by call or text; a Veteran presses 1 after dialling or texts 838255, and a Spanish speaker presses 2 or texts AYUDA to 988.
  Checked on 2026-09-07
- Seven Counties ServicesCrisis Support
  Establishes: Seven Counties Services publishes its Crisis & Information Center on (502) 589-4313, staffed 24 hours a day every day of the year, and operates a local 988 team of trained Crisis Intervention Counselors.
  Checked on 2026-09-07
- Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family ServicesCMHCs and psychiatric hospitals alphabetically by county
  Establishes: The official directory lists county-specific regional contacts and crisis lines, directs immediate life-threatening emergencies to 911 and offers 988 as a crisis option.
  Practical limit: The directory has a conflicting Gallatin entry. Confirm the regional assignment with the center; 988 remains a statewide crisis route. A listed contact does not confirm a bed, appointment or mobile response.
  Checked on 2026-09-30
Still unknown
- How long a wait is, and what any counsellor will offer or advise. No One Left Outside does not operate or monitor either line.
Back to your plan
Step 1Ask about a Crisis Stabilization Unit of 5
Sensitive guide · stays in this tab only · nothing is sent
Do this
A voluntary short-term community option, instead of an emergency department or a psychiatric hospital.
- Ask about it on the same call — 988 or your region's crisis line.
- Ask the counselor or county-serving center which stabilization service is actually operating, which ages and counties it accepts, and its intake and transport route. A planned opening date is not proof a site is open.
- Voluntary means you choose it. Ask what that means in practice before agreeing to anything.
Move on when: you know whether a stabilization option is available to you and what it involves.
Limits and what to confirm
- The directory has a conflicting Gallatin entry. Confirm the regional assignment with the center; 988 remains a statewide crisis route. A listed contact does not confirm a bed, appointment or mobile response.
- Which units are open, who they take, and whether there is space. No One Left Outside confirms none of that.
Why this step is here
After the crisis call, because it is one of the things that call can arrange, and asking for it by name is what makes it an option.
What was checked, and what is still unknown (1)
Official sources checked (1)
- Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family ServicesCMHCs and psychiatric hospitals alphabetically by county
  Establishes: The official directory lists county-specific regional contacts and crisis lines, directs immediate life-threatening emergencies to 911 and offers 988 as a crisis option.
  Practical limit: The directory has a conflicting Gallatin entry. Confirm the regional assignment with the center; 988 remains a statewide crisis route. A listed contact does not confirm a bed, appointment or mobile response.
  Checked on 2026-09-30
Still unknown
- Which units are open, who they take, and whether there is space. No One Left Outside confirms none of that.
Back to your plan
Step 2Ask for a mobile crisis response of 5
Sensitive guide · stays in this tab only · nothing is sent
Do this
Ask whether a team serving your county can assess you where you are; dispatch is unconfirmed until the service answers.
- Call 988 or your county-serving crisis line and ask whether mobile crisis response covers your location, age and situation. Seven Counties is a regional route rather than the contact for every Kentucky county.
- Ask what to do while a response is unconfirmed; use 911 for immediate physical danger or a medical emergency.
- Say plainly that travel is not possible, and where you are.
- A qualified, trained crisis team member assesses the situation and the level of risk when you call.
Move on when: you have asked for a mobile response and know what was said about it.
Ways to get help for this step
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text, anywhere
  Ask whether a mobile crisis response covers where you are, your age and your situation.
  Call 988
- Your county's regional crisis line — Kentucky directory
  Your county's regional crisis line can answer the same question for your area.
  Open official route →
- Seven Counties Crisis & Information Center — Louisville-area region only
  Seven Counties region around Louisville only.
  Call (502) 589-4313
Limits and what to confirm
- The directory has a conflicting Gallatin entry. Confirm the regional assignment with the center; 988 remains a statewide crisis route. A listed contact does not confirm a bed, appointment or mobile response.
- Whether a mobile team is available at that moment, how long it would take, and what area it covers. Ask on the call; No One Left Outside does not confirm availability.
Why this step is here
First among the numbered steps when travel is the problem, because every other option on this page assumes you can get somewhere.
What was checked, and what is still unknown (2)
Official sources checked (2)
- Seven Counties ServicesCrisis Support
  Establishes: Seven Counties Services runs a 24-hour Mobile Crisis Team that responds in person at home or in any other community setting, and says to reach it by calling 988 or (502) 589-4313 and asking for a mobile crisis response.
  Checked on 2026-09-07
- Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family ServicesCMHCs and psychiatric hospitals alphabetically by county
  Establishes: The official directory lists county-specific regional contacts and crisis lines, directs immediate life-threatening emergencies to 911 and offers 988 as a crisis option.
  Practical limit: The directory has a conflicting Gallatin entry. Confirm the regional assignment with the center; 988 remains a statewide crisis route. A listed contact does not confirm a bed, appointment or mobile response.
  Checked on 2026-09-30
Still unknown
- Whether a mobile team is available at that moment, how long it would take, and what area it covers. Ask on the call; No One Left Outside does not confirm availability.
Back to your plan
Step 3Text instead of speaking of 5
Sensitive guide · stays in this tab only · nothing is sent
Do this
If a phone call is not possible, the same kind of support exists by text.
- Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the United States to reach a live volunteer Crisis Counselor — free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day. HOLA reaches a Spanish-language counsellor.
- 988 also takes text messages, not just calls.
- Neither is a lesser option. Use whichever you will actually use.
Move on when: you have a route you would genuinely use at three in the morning.
Ways to get help for this step
- Crisis Text Line — text HOME to 741741, national
  Text HOME to 741741 (HOLA for Spanish), any hour.
  Open official route →
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text, anywhere
  988 takes text messages as well as calls.
  Call 988
Limits and what to confirm
- Response times. Neither service publishes one, and No One Left Outside does not monitor either.
Why this step is here
Promoted to the front the moment somebody says a call is not possible, because a route you cannot use is not a route.
What was checked, and what is still unknown (2)
Official sources checked (2)
- Crisis Text LineCrisis Text Line | Text HOME to 741741
  Establishes: Crisis Text Line connects a texter with a live volunteer Crisis Counselor from anywhere in the United States on HOME to 741741, or HOLA for Spanish, free and confidential 24 hours a day.
  Checked on 2026-09-07
- 988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineGet Help
  Establishes: The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is reached by call or text; a Veteran presses 1 after dialling or texts 838255, and a Spanish speaker presses 2 or texts AYUDA to 988.
  Checked on 2026-09-07
Still unknown
- Response times. Neither service publishes one, and No One Left Outside does not monitor either.
Back to your plan
Step 4LGBTQ+ young people of 5
Sensitive guide · stays in this tab only · nothing is sent
Do this
The Trevor Project publishes its own 24-hour route, staffed by counsellors trained for it.
- Call 1-866-488-7386, text START to 678-678, or use the chat on its site.
- It publishes the service as available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, confidential, and 100% free.
- It is an alternative to the routes above, not a replacement for 911 in immediate danger.
Move on when: you know which of the routes on this page you would use, and have the number where you can find it.
Ways to get help for this step
- The Trevor Project — 24/7, national
  Call, or text START to 678-678. It is an alternative to the routes above, not a replacement for 911.
  Call 1-866-488-7386
Limits and what to confirm
- Wait times and counsellor availability at any given moment.
Why this step is here
Last, because it is an additional route rather than a later stage. Somebody it fits will use it first regardless of where it sits.
What was checked, and what is still unknown (1)
Official sources checked (1)
- The Trevor ProjectWe're here for you
  Establishes: The Trevor Project publishes crisis support for LGBTQ+ young people 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by phone on 1-866-488-7386, by texting START to 678-678, or by chat; it states the service is confidential and 100% free.
  Checked on 2026-09-07
Still unknown
- Wait times and counsellor availability at any given moment.
Back to your plan
Step 5Arrange ongoing care in your county of 5
Sensitive guide · stays in this tab only · nothing is sent
Do this
Use Kentucky's county directory to contact the regional community mental health center, then confirm a workable intake and follow-up plan.
- Open the official county directory and use the center serving your county. If a directory entry conflicts, ask the center to confirm the regional assignment; the published Gallatin entries need clarification.
- Ask: Can you assess my need and tell me the correct intake route, whether you accept my exact coverage, any cost if I am uninsured, and what to do while a response is pending? Do not delay crisis help for an insurance application.
- State any language, disability, travel or contact barrier. Ask about an interpreter, accessible appointment, phone or in-person intake, and only the documents required to begin. No particular accommodation, telehealth device or transport is promised here.
- With no working phone or internet, ask a trusted helper or an accessible public-service desk to help contact the center privately. If it cannot take your request, ask for the county-serving alternative, the reason and a contact or review route; keep 988 or 911 available for an urgent change.
- Choose a safe contact method, name who owns the next action, and write down when to check again.
- Keep a safe copy or reference number for each notice, submission, referral, and instruction so the work can resume without starting over.
Move on when: a named service confirms the next intake action, a safe contact route and what to try if it cannot help.
Ways to get help for this step
- Kentucky county mental-health contact directory
  Choose your county and verify the center's service area before arranging nonemergency care.
  Open official route →
Limits and what to confirm
- Choose by county, not provider office location. Ask the receiving center about service area, intake, coverage or cost, accessibility and current availability.
- The directory has a conflicting Gallatin entry. Confirm the regional assignment with the center; 988 remains a statewide crisis route. A listed contact does not confirm a bed, appointment or mobile response.
- A crisis conversation is separate from an ongoing-care appointment or a promised local dispatch. No working phone or internet requires a safe human-assisted contact or urgent in-person emergency help.
- Your intake date, accepted coverage, uninsured charge, accessible service and alternative contact remain unconfirmed until the receiving center answers.
Why this step is here
Crisis safety remains first. Confirm the ongoing-care intake before planning documents or travel.
What was checked, and what is still unknown (3)
Official sources checked (3)
- Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family ServicesCommunity Mental Health Centers
  Establishes: Kentucky describes fourteen regional mental-health/intellectual-disability boards serving multi-county regions and links a county contact directory.
  Practical limit: Choose by county, not provider office location. Ask the receiving center about service area, intake, coverage or cost, accessibility and current availability.
  Checked on 2026-09-30
- Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family ServicesCMHCs and psychiatric hospitals alphabetically by county
  Establishes: The official directory lists county-specific regional contacts and crisis lines, directs immediate life-threatening emergencies to 911 and offers 988 as a crisis option.
  Practical limit: The directory has a conflicting Gallatin entry. Confirm the regional assignment with the center; 988 remains a statewide crisis route. A listed contact does not confirm a bed, appointment or mobile response.
  Checked on 2026-09-30
- 988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineGet Help
  Establishes: 988 publishes free 24/7 call, text and chat crisis support; Veterans press 1 or text 838255, Spanish callers press 2 or text AYUDA, and TTY users may dial 711 then 988.
  Practical limit: A crisis conversation is separate from an ongoing-care appointment or a promised local dispatch. No working phone or internet requires a safe human-assisted contact or urgent in-person emergency help.
  Checked on 2026-09-30
Still unknown
- Your intake date, accepted coverage, uninsured charge, accessible service and alternative contact remain unconfirmed until the receiving center answers.
Back to your plan

Build a handoff packet for a case managerFor a worker, advocate, or outreach team preparing a referral on someone's behalf.

Case manager packet

Build a Mental-Health Crisis handoff

[aria-labelledby='packet-builder-heading'] fieldset,[aria-labelledby='packet-builder-heading'] button,[aria-labelledby='packet-builder-heading'] label,[aria-labelledby='packet-builder-heading'] [aria-live]{display:none}Choosing packet sections needs JavaScript. You can open the full printable packet and use your browser's Print menu.

Choose the sections you can review together in under five minutes. The handoff starts with the first action and ends with a fallback. No One Left Outside does not ask for or store a client name, answers, case notes, or checklist progress.

Include in the packet

What to bring or gatherDocument prompts and recovery optionsOfficial sources and formsOwning agencies, source links, and check datesQuestions to confirmUNKNOWN details to ask an agency or providerIf the first route failsBlockers, alternatives, and recovery actions

First action plus 4 selected sections

Document prompts are preparation—not a verified agency checklist. UNKNOWN means “confirm this,” not “no.” A source link does not confirm eligibility or current availability.

Before the appointment ends

1. Name the next official contact.
2. Choose one UNKNOWN to confirm.
3. Agree on a fallback if the first route fails.

Routes whose sources publish 24/7 access

These sources describe the route as available around the clock. A route may be a staffed phone, text, or chat line, a self-service form, or a local process. This is not a live check that someone will answer or that a service has capacity. Read each availability note and confirm the current route when you can.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Mental-health distress, emotional distress, suicide, or substance-use crisis — for you or for someone you are worried about.
Call or text 988 988lifeline.org
Chat at chat.988lifeline.org. Text and chat are published in Spanish, and there is a Deaf and hard-of-hearing route.
988 publishes that it is available 24/7/365, free, and confidential.
Source: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — checked 2026-08-05.
Kentucky 211
Housing, food, utilities, transportation, and community services — when you need to know what exists near you tonight.
Dial 211
Or text your ZIP code to 898211.
Kentucky 211 answers 24 hours a day.
Source: No One Left Outside emergency contact policy (SOURCE_OF_TRUTH §11) — checked 2026-08-05.
VA National Call Center for Homeless Veterans
Any veteran who is homeless or at risk of it. Family, friends, and case managers may call on a veteran's behalf.
Call 1-877-4AID-VET (1-877-424-3838)va.gov/homeless
VA publishes a free, confidential online chat with a trained counselor, any time of day or night.
VA publishes that this line is available 24/7.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — National Call Center for Homeless Veterans — checked 2026-10-18.

4 more routes whose sources publish 24/7 access

National Domestic Violence Hotline
Confidential support if someone is hurting you or you are helping someone who is being hurt.
Call 1-800-799-7233 thehotline.org/get-help
Text START to 88788, or use the live chat. There are Spanish, StrongHearts, and video-phone routes.
The Hotline publishes phone, text, and chat routes to an advocate. It also warns that internet use can be monitored and is impossible to erase completely — if this device may be watched, use a different one.
Source: National Domestic Violence Hotline — Get Help — checked 2026-10-18.
Seven Counties Services crisis lines
Local crisis support for the Louisville area, staffed at any hour. Separate lines for adults, children, addiction recovery, and developmental-disability crisis.
Adult crisis (502) 589-4313 sevencounties.org
Child crisis (502) 589-8070. Addiction recovery (502) 583-3951. Developmental-disability crisis (502) 459-5292.
Seven Counties Services publishes all four lines as available 24/7, 365.
Source: Seven Counties Services — Crisis Number Directory — checked 2026-10-19.
Kentucky protective order
Filing a petition for an emergency protective order, if someone is hurting you or threatening you.
How protective orders work (Kentucky Court of Justice)
Petitions are filed with an Office of Circuit Court Clerk; the court publishes contact details for all 120 counties.
Kentucky courts are required to provide a 24-hour access process for orders of protection in every county. The after-hours location or procedure can vary by county. Contact the local circuit court clerk, law enforcement, or a domestic-violence program to confirm the local process. The Kentucky Court of Justice also states that there are no fees or costs for filing a petition. Whether to seek an order is your decision, and an advocate can help you think it through.
Source: Kentucky Court of Justice — How to Obtain a Protective Order — checked 2026-08-05.
Legal Aid Society online application
Eviction, housing conditions, benefits, and other civil legal problems in Jefferson County and fourteen surrounding counties.
yourlegalaid.org/application
Legal Aid Society publishes an online intake application available twenty-four hours a day. Its phone intake is Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed on Fridays — so at night the form is the way in.
Source: Legal Aid Society — Frequently Asked Questions — checked 2026-08-05.

If someone is in immediate danger or having a medical emergency, call 911.

What No One Left Outside cannot promise

No One Left Outside does not decide eligibility.
No One Left Outside does not submit applications, renewals, appeals, or documents.
No One Left Outside cannot guarantee approval, a timeline, an appointment, or a fee waiver.
No One Left Outside is not a legal or benefits advisor.
No One Left Outside is not affiliated with any agency named on a journey page.
This guide does not make a legal, medical, safety, eligibility, or discharge decision.
A search result does not confirm funding, capacity, acceptance, or availability.

Documents and what replaces them (2)Every document this journey covers, what each one proves, and the accepted substitutes.

Documents and recovery questions

Anything marked “confirmed” below has a named source and a check date. Everything else is a question worth asking, not a rule — ask before relying on it.

Medication and care information, if safely available

A qualified clinician may ask about current care and medications.

If it is missing

Ask the current prescriber, pharmacy, or care team how information can be confirmed; do not change medication from this guide.

Possibilities to ask about

Ask the receiving clinician what information is needed for immediate assessment.

Official details not yet verified — ask the agency for current instructions · checked 2026-08-01 · Kentucky

Coverage and identity information, if available

Ongoing-care scheduling may ask for coverage or identity information.

If it is missing

Ask what care can begin while records are unavailable and use the related recovery journeys later.

Possibilities to ask about

Ask the provider what it can verify for the current stage.

Official details not yet verified — ask the agency for current instructions · checked 2026-08-01 · Kentucky

If something is blocking you (4)What commonly stops people here, and what has worked around it.

If something is blocking you

The person cannot safely make a call or explain the situation alone.

Things to try

Use emergency services for immediate danger or ask a trusted support person or qualified crisis worker to assist when safe.

Ongoing care, coverage, transportation, or housing is not confirmed.

Things to try

Keep the immediate safety plan active and assign separate follow-up for each continuity need.

You cannot make a phone call, or nobody answers the phone.

Things to try

If you are in danger right now, call 911.
Call or text 988, or use the 988 Lifeline's chat at 988lifeline.org. The 988 Lifeline says it is available 24/7/365 and conversations are free and confidential.

The normal route stalls, gives conflicting instructions, or cannot confirm the next step.

Things to try

Record who said what, when, and through which channel.
Ask what escalation or alternate channel exists, then keep a separate fallback route open.

Things that may help today

Use emergency services for immediate danger or a medical emergency.
Seek qualified crisis support now; use directory searches only for confirmed follow-up options.

Where to go — official routes (5)Named offices and services, each with its own source, check date, and published limits.

Verified official route

Seven Counties Services, the regional community mental-health provider for the Louisville area, publishes four crisis lines it states are available 24/7, 365: an adult crisis line at (502) 589-4313, a child crisis line at (502) 589-8070, an addiction recovery hotline at (502) 583-3951, and a developmental-disability crisis line at (502) 459-5292. It publishes a Crisis Prevention and Response Program for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, intended to help someone stay in their home and community. Whether a specific service is offered, what it costs, and who is eligible are Seven Counties' to answer.

Open the verified official source

Last checked 2026-08-05 · Kentucky · official source: Seven Counties Services — Crisis Number Directory

Verified official route

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline publishes that it supports people in mental-health distress, emotional distress, and substance-use crisis, that it is available 24/7/365, and that it is free and confidential. It can be reached by calling 988, texting 988, or chatting at chat.988lifeline.org, and it publishes a Deaf and Hard of Hearing access route. It states that text and chat services are available in Spanish. 988 does not dispatch on No One Left Outside's behalf and No One Left Outside does not monitor it.

Open the verified official source

Last checked 2026-08-05 · Jurisdiction-neutral · official source: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Verified official route

Kentucky CHFS’s crisis-system page identifies 988 and regional community mental-health-center crisis routes for behavioral-health or intellectual/developmental-disability crises. 988 supports crisis connection; it does not confirm dispatch, hospitalization, an appointment, or ongoing-care acceptance.

Open the verified official source

Last checked 2026-08-05 · Kentucky · official source: Kentucky CHFS — Crisis Prevention and Response System

Verified official route

Kentucky’s Division of Mental Health page links official crisis, provider-directory, and treatment-locator starting points. A listed destination does not establish insurance acceptance, cost, capacity, or clinical fit.

Open the verified official source

Last checked 2026-08-05 · Kentucky · official source: Kentucky CHFS — Division of Mental Health

Official details not yet verified

The routes above are the ones No One Left Outside has checked against a named source. Other Kentucky and Louisville routes for this situation have not been checked yet — confirm them with the responsible agency or provider.

No official link is published until it is verified. Ask the agency for current instructions.

Official details not yet verified — ask the agency for current instructions · checked 2026-08-01 · Kentucky

Preparation and practice guidanceGeneral advice that applies to most appointments and calls, not only to this journey.

Practitioner and helper guidance

Preparation ideas for the person and anyone helping

Stay within role and use qualified clinical or crisis escalation for safety decisions.
A directory or case-management script cannot perform a clinical risk assessment.
Ask before involving contacts unless emergency duties require otherwise.
Choice, privacy, trauma, and safety affect how support should be engaged.
Separate documents, client statements, agency instructions, and unconfirmed assumptions in the record.
Clear labels let the next helper reuse what is known without turning an inference into a fact.
End each handoff with a named owner, safe contact method, next check date, and fallback.
A referral is easier to resume when responsibility and the failed-route response are visible.

Practitioner guidance from field experience — not agency policy. Checked 2026-08-01 · Jurisdiction-neutral.

Immediate crisis response and ongoing care

This comparison does not recommend one option.

Qualified immediate response

Documents: Ask what information this route currently requires.
Cost: Unknown — confirm before choosing this route.
When it may matter: Use this when safety or medical needs cannot wait.
When it may not: Do not use it when it creates a safety or care risk.

Ongoing mental-health care

Documents: Ask what information this route currently requires.
Cost: Unknown — confirm before choosing this route.
When it may matter: Use this to confirm intake, coverage, transportation, and follow-up after immediate safety is addressed.
When it may not: Do not assume this route is available or appropriate.

Ongoing-care navigation must never delay an immediate safety response.

Universal preparation guidance · checked 2026-07-28 · Jurisdiction-neutral

Appointment strategy

1.Ask whether an appointment is required before you travel.
2.Ask how walk-ins are handled and whether arriving early changes the process.
3.Confirm the location, hours, and documents again on the day you plan to go.
4.Ask what safe contact method will be used for changes, cancellations, or follow-up.
5.Before ending, ask who to contact and what to do if the appointment or referral cannot proceed.

Scheduling links and phone numbers are pending verification.

Universal preparation guidance · checked 2026-07-28 · Jurisdiction-neutral

Day of the appointment or visit

At the office

1.Arrive early when practical, especially if you are walking in.
2.Ask for a realistic wait estimate.
3.Ask whether the office uses text messages, callbacks, or another queue-notification system.
4.Ask whether you can leave briefly and return without losing your place.
5.Prepare for a potentially long day.
6.Write down the name or department that gave each instruction, the date, and the next action.

Bring for the wait

A charger
Water and snacks where permitted
Medications you may need during the wait
All paperwork together in one folder
Something to do while you wait
A safe way to take notes and store confirmation or reference numbers

Universal preparation guidance · checked 2026-07-28 · Jurisdiction-neutral

If something goes wrong

What to do when a step does not work

A closed office, a failed website or a “no” does not end the plan. Guidance written for this guide comes first. Where this guide has none, No One Left Outside’s general guidance is shown and labelled.

Show the seven situations, deadlines, county differences and what No One Left Outside does not know

If a document is missing

From this guide

Missing: Medication and care information, if safely available
- Ask the current prescriber, pharmacy, or care team how information can be confirmed; do not change medication from this guide.
- Ask first whether these are accepted (not confirmed): Ask the receiving clinician what information is needed for immediate assessment.
Missing: Coverage and identity information, if available
- Ask what care can begin while records are unavailable and use the related recovery journeys later.
- Ask first whether these are accepted (not confirmed): Ask the provider what it can verify for the current stage.