In Kentucky, public mental health services are run by the Division of Mental Health inside the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (DBHDID), part of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Calls to 988 from Kentucky are answered at one of 14 community mental health call centers across the state, and Kentucky also has two dedicated text and chat centers that run 24 hours a day. NAMI Kentucky, based in Lexington, lists free support groups for people living with a mental health condition and for their families, including an online group.
Publicly funded community mental health care in Kentucky comes through 14 regional boards, known as community mental health centers, and each one has its own crisis number that answers 24 hours a day.
The state says its 14 regional community mental health centers provide crisis services around the clock, offer walk in crisis care at many clinic locations, and may have mobile crisis teams that can come to your home or job. For inpatient care, the state runs psychiatric hospitals in Louisville and Hopkinsville, Eastern State Hospital in Lexington is managed by UK HealthCare, and the state contracts with Appalachian Regional Healthcare in Hazard for psychiatric beds serving 21 eastern Kentucky counties. The two academic psychiatry departments are at the University of Kentucky in Lexington and the University of Louisville. Farm families can reach Raising Hope, a Kentucky Department of Agriculture program that focuses on farmer health and farm safety.
Crisis lines
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988 anywhere in the United States, including from Kentucky. Free and confidential, 24 hours a day. For chat, visit 988lifeline.org.
- 988 in Kentucky. The state's 988 site explains how Kentucky calls are routed to the nearest of 14 community mental health call centers, with a list of the centers and the areas they serve. For general questions about the program, email [email protected].
- CMHC 24 hour crisis lines by county. A state table listing each county's community mental health center and its 24 hour crisis number. For example, Jefferson County's line is 502-589-1100 and Fayette County's is 800-928-8000; look up your own county before you need it.
- Kentucky 211. A United Way service that connects you with local help for bills, food, housing and mental health. Dial 211 or text your zip code to 898211; representatives are available 24/7.
- Participation Station Warm Line (Lexington). A peer support line for people who aren't in crisis but feel lonely or are struggling, run by Participation Station, a peer operated program sponsored by New Vista and NAMI Lexington. Call (877) 840-5167; its 2023 flyer lists hours of Monday through Friday 10am to 9pm and Saturdays 5pm to 9pm. In a crisis, call 988.
Crisis care and mobile crisis
- Crisis Prevention and Response System (DBHDID). Explains the crisis care Kentucky's 14 regional community mental health centers provide 24 hours a day: walk in crisis services, mobile crisis teams where available and Residential Crisis Stabilization Units for short stays. Call 988 or your county's CMHC crisis line to find the nearest option.
- Kentucky Community Crisis Response Team (KCCRT). A statewide volunteer team within DBHDID that provides group debriefings and Psychological First Aid to first responders, communities and disaster survivors after critical incidents. Organizations can request a response 24/7 at 1-888-522-7228.
State mental health authority
- Division of Mental Health (DBHDID). The state division that supports prevention, treatment, crisis and recovery services for Kentuckians with serious mental illness, severe emotional disabilities or co occurring conditions. The page links to adult and children's services and the state's treatment finders.
- State psychiatric facilities. Lists the adult psychiatric hospitals serving Kentucky: Central State Hospital in Louisville, Eastern State Hospital in Lexington, Western State Hospital in Hopkinsville and contracted beds at Appalachian Regional Healthcare in Hazard. Many patients are referred through their community mental health center.
NAMI Kentucky
- NAMI Kentucky. The statewide NAMI organization in Lexington, offering free support, education and advocacy, with a calendar of groups held by local affiliates such as NAMI Louisville, NAMI Lexington, NAMI Northern Kentucky and NAMI Bowling Green. Reach it through the contact form on its site; in a crisis, call 988.
- NAMI Kentucky support groups. Free groups led by trained peers: NAMI Connection for people with a mental health condition, NAMI Family Support Group for loved ones, plus an LGBTQIA group and a group for young adults 18 to 35. Check the calendar for in person and online meeting times.
Community mental health centers
- Community Mental Health Centers (Regional MHID Boards). Kentucky's 14 regional boards are private nonprofits that provide publicly funded mental health, substance use and intellectual disability services for their multicounty regions. Pick your county from the dropdown to get your local office's contact information.
Treatment locators
- FindTreatment.gov. The federal locator for mental health and substance use treatment. Search by Kentucky zip code and filter by payment type.
- Find Help Now KY. A state partnered site, run with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the University of Kentucky, that shows mental health and substance use treatment providers taking new clients. For help finding substance use treatment, the KY HELP Statewide Call Center is at 1-877-318-1871.
University and academic medical centers
- UK HealthCare Psychiatry. The University of Kentucky's outpatient clinic for children, adolescents and adults at Fountain Court in Lexington, with an Anxiety Disorders Clinical Service among its programs. Call 859-323-6021, option 1, weekdays from 8am to 5pm to schedule.
- University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. The academic department in Lexington, with residencies in adult psychiatry, combined internal medicine and psychiatry, and triple board training, plus fellowships in child and adolescent psychiatry and addiction medicine.
- University of Louisville, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. The UofL School of Medicine department in Louisville, which offers diagnostic assessments, therapy, medication management and specialized treatment for conditions including anxiety, depression and PTSD, and trains psychiatry residents.
Other state programs
- Raising Hope (Kentucky Department of Agriculture). A state program focused on farmer health, farm safety and farm rescue. Contact the Raising Hope team at (502) 782-4103 or [email protected].