In Delaware, public mental health care for adults runs through the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH), part of Delaware Health and Social Services. The state's 988 campaign is called Help is Here, and DSAMH also runs the Delaware Hope Line at 1-833-946-7333 for support at any hour. NAMI Delaware offers a free helpline, support groups and family classes, with offices in Wilmington and Georgetown.
If the person in crisis is a child or teen, Delaware's Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families runs its own line at 1-800-969-HELP (4357), staffed 24 hours a day.
Adult crisis services in Delaware are split into two regions. The Mobile Crisis Intervention Services team in New Castle covers all of New Castle County and greater Smyrna, and the Ellendale team covers Sussex County and the rest of Kent County; both are staffed 24 hours a day and take phone calls, go out to people, and see people who walk in. Recovery Response Centers in Newark and Ellendale give adults in crisis a place to stabilize as an alternative to a hospital stay. The Delaware Psychiatric Center in New Castle is the state's only inpatient psychiatric hospital for adults. Delaware doesn't have a state supported medical school, so its academic psychiatry training happens through the ChristianaCare residency program in Wilmington.
Crisis lines
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988 anywhere in the United States, including from Delaware. Free and confidential, 24 hours a day. For chat, visit 988lifeline.org.
- Help is Here, Delaware (988 in Delaware). DSAMH's page on how 988 works in Delaware, including when to call 911 instead and the warning signs to watch for. It also lists the state's other crisis numbers in one place.
- Delaware Hope Line. Call 1-833-946-7333 (833-9-HOPEDE) to talk with someone about mental health support, information or referrals when you aren't in crisis. DSAMH says peer counseling and support for addiction, emotional distress and mental fatigue is available 24/7.
- 24/7 Youth Crisis Support (Mobile Response and Stabilization Services). For a child or teen in a mental health or substance use crisis, call 1-800-969-HELP (4357) at any hour. This line is run by the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families.
- Delaware 211. A free, confidential helpline from United Way of Delaware that connects people to local services, including mental health resources. Call 211, text your zip code to 898-211, or use live chat, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Crisis care and mobile crisis
- Mobile Crisis Intervention Services, Northern Delaware. Staffed 24 hours a day at 14 Central Avenue in New Castle, serving all of New Castle County and greater Smyrna with hotline support, mobile outreach and walk in crisis care. Call 1-800-652-2929 or 302-577-2484.
- Mobile Crisis Intervention Services, Southern Delaware. Staffed 24 hours a day at 700 Main Street in Ellendale, serving Sussex County and Kent County south of greater Smyrna. Call 1-800-345-6785 or 302-424-5550.
- Recovery Response Centers (Newark and Ellendale). Open 24 hours a day for adults in a mental health or substance use crisis, as an alternative to going into the hospital. Newark: 659 East Chestnut Hill Road, 302-318-6070. Ellendale: 700 Main Street, 302-424-5660.
State mental health authority
- Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH). The Delaware Health and Social Services division responsible for public mental health, substance use and problem gambling services for adults. It works through community partners and contracted agencies and runs mobile crisis services.
- Delaware Psychiatric Center. The state operated inpatient psychiatric hospital for adults with severe mental illness, on the Herman M. Holloway Sr. Campus in New Castle. Call 302-255-2700 with questions about treatment services.
- Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health Services (children and youth). The state division for prevention, early intervention and behavioral health treatment for children and youth through age 17. For general questions call (302) 633-2600.
NAMI Delaware
- NAMI Delaware Helpline. An information and referral line, not a crisis line, for people with mental health conditions, families and professionals. Call (888) 427-2643 and select option 1 (option 8 for Spanish), Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- NAMI Delaware groups, classes and trainings. Free support groups led by peers, including NAMI Family Support Group and NAMI Connection, plus classes such as NAMI Family-to-Family and NAMI Basics. The page also lists Mental Health First Aid and free QPR suicide prevention training.
Treatment locators
- FindTreatment.gov. The federal locator for mental health and substance use treatment. Search by Delaware zip code and filter by payment type.
- DSAMH Licensed Provider List. A county by county list of substance use treatment programs, Assertive Community Treatment and Intensive Care Management programs, and group homes licensed or certified by DSAMH. Each entry includes a referral phone number.
University and academic medical centers
Delaware doesn't have a state supported medical school. Instead, the state reserves seats for Delaware residents at medical schools in Philadelphia.
- ChristianaCare Psychiatry Residency Program. The psychiatry residency at ChristianaCare, based at Wilmington Hospital. ChristianaCare describes itself as an independent academic medical center.
- Delaware Institute of Medical Education and Research (DIMER). The state program that reserves medical school seats for Delaware residents at Sidney Kimmel Medical College and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, since Delaware has no state supported medical school of its own.
Other state programs
- Delaware Office of Suicide Prevention. A new office within DSAMH, created by House Bill 54 in 2025, to coordinate suicide prevention work across state agencies and community partners. DSAMH says the office will be staffed in 2026.
- Youth Suicide Prevention and Support. Suicide prevention and response resources for young people and families from the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families.
- Mental Health Association in Delaware. A Delaware nonprofit offering wellness groups, mental health screening, peer education and suicide prevention trainings. DSAMH lists it among its community resources.
- Delaware Child Psychiatry Access Program (DCPAP). Lets pediatricians and other primary care clinicians consult a child and adolescent psychiatrist about patients up to age 21. It's for clinicians only, so if your child's doctor is unsure about next steps, you can mention it to them.