In New Hampshire, the NH Rapid Response Access Point takes mental health and substance use crisis calls, texts and chats at 833-710-6477 at any hour, and 988 works too. Public mental health care is overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services, Division for Behavioral Health, and the state's 10 community mental health centers serve every region. NAMI New Hampshire runs support groups and an Information and Resource Line at 1-800-242-6264.
If talking on the phone isn't enough, the Access Point can send a Rapid Response Team from your local mental health center to meet you in person or by video.
New Hampshire's 10 community mental health centers run more than 40 locations, and their Rapid Response Teams cover the whole state. A team can take up to an hour to reach you, and it can meet by telehealth if you live farther away. Peer support agencies, run by and for people with lived experience of mental illness, have centers from Conway, Littleton and Berlin in the North Country down to Nashua and Portsmouth, and they answer free warmlines in the evening. For specialty care, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon draws patients from across New England and has adult and adolescent inpatient psychiatry units and a psychiatric emergency department.
Crisis lines
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988 anywhere in the United States, including from New Hampshire. Free and confidential, 24 hours a day. For chat, visit 988lifeline.org.
- NH Rapid Response Access Point. New Hampshire's statewide crisis line for mental health and substance use crises, run on behalf of NH DHHS. Call or text 833-710-6477 or use the chat on the site any time, day or night; crisis staff can help over the phone, send a mobile team, or set up a same day or next day appointment at your local mental health center.
- 211 NH. Dial 211 (or 1-866-444-4211) to reach trained Information and Referral Specialists who can connect you with mental health care, housing, food, utility help and more. It's available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
- NH peer support warmlines. State contracted peer support agencies answer free evening warmlines staffed by people with lived experience, for times you want to talk but aren't in an emergency. Numbers vary by region (for example 800-306-4334 for the Lakes Region, Concord, Nashua and Manchester areas, and 800-809-6262 for the Seacoast, Strafford County and Derry areas); this DHHS page lists each agency, its warmline and any crisis respite program.
Crisis care and mobile crisis
- NH Rapid Response Teams. Mobile crisis teams run by the 10 community mental health centers cover the entire state and can meet you at home, school, a public place, or by telehealth. Request one through the Access Point at 833-710-6477; if you can't wait, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
State mental health authority
- NH DHHS Behavioral Health. The state's behavioral health programs page, covering mental health, substance use services and the state crisis system. The Division for Behavioral Health oversees the Bureau of Mental Health Services, the Bureau for Children's Behavioral Health and the Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services.
- NH DHHS Mental Health. Mental health information and resources from NH DHHS. The state says mental health services in New Hampshire are available to everyone, regardless of age or ability to pay.
NAMI New Hampshire
- NAMI NH Information and Resource Line. Call 1-800-242-6264 (press 4) or email [email protected] to leave a confidential message for trained staff who can point you to NAMI NH programs and local resources. It isn't a crisis line; calls are returned during business hours, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5.
- NAMI NH support groups. Peer led groups in person and online for adults living with mental health symptoms, family members, parents and caregivers of children, and people who have lost someone to suicide. Use the searchable listing on the page to find a group near you.
Community mental health centers
- Find a Mental Health Center (NH Community Behavioral Health Association). Type your town name to find the community mental health center that serves you. The 10 member centers run more than 40 locations across New Hampshire.
Treatment locators
- FindTreatment.gov. The federal SAMHSA locator for mental health and substance use treatment. Search by New Hampshire address or ZIP code and filter by payment type.
University and academic medical centers
- Dartmouth Health Department of Psychiatry. Inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care for all ages, based at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon with other locations in New Hampshire and Vermont. Lebanon Adult and Child Psychiatry can be reached at 603-650-7075.
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Department of Psychiatry. The academic psychiatry department in Lebanon, which trains medical students, residents and fellows. Its adult psychiatry residency trains at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, the White River Junction VA Medical Center and New Hampshire Hospital, the state psychiatric hospital.
Other state programs
- NH Children's Behavioral Health Resource Center. A state site for children, youth, young adults and caregivers dealing with mental health or substance use concerns. Families can look up services, supports and resources in New Hampshire's System of Care.
- NH Medicaid. NH Medicaid covers services at community mental health centers, psychotherapy and substance use disorder treatment for people who qualify. Apply through NH EASY or call the DHHS Customer Service Center at 1-844-275-3447.