Mental health help for free

Often low-cost or short-term help is available through employer, Internet, YMCA.

By Jen Weigel
Chicago Tribune

Posted: Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012

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Your local church: "In my experience a church will welcome those in need, regardless of whether you are a member of the congregation," James said.

The National Alliance of Mental Illness: "They provide a database of low-cost or no-cost treatment options and groups," Riccardi said. Contact: www.nami.org.

Self-help websites: "Any teacher or author that you are drawn to may have a blog or a website with helpful information," James said. He also cites Learning Annex (www.learningannex.com), where classes on a variety of topics start at 99 cents.

For urgent crises, Riccardi suggested the following hotlines:

Child Abuse Hotline: "If someone feels a child is at risk of endangerment, an investigator will be sent within 24 hours," she said. Contact 800-252-2873.

Alcoholics Anonymous: "For support around sobriety through referrals to (local) groups," she said. Contact www.aa.org.

Department on Aging Hotline: "This is for someone who believes an older adult is being harmed emotionally or physically or exploited financially," she said. "Investigators will also be dispatched within 24 hours." Contact 866-800-1409.

The National Suicide Hotline: "This hotline routes crisis calls to local support," she said. Contact 800-784-2433.

What do you do if you need mental health support but you don't have money for a psychologist?

Or maybe you feel your issue is not worth a full course of psychotherapy. Can you really find legitimate help that won't break the bank or take years to complete?

"If a person feels they need treatment, usually that signals some type of crisis," said Nina Riccardi, a therapist for Cathedral Counseling Center in Chicago. But there are options, she added.

Riccardi said most employers offer free counseling assistance, so check with your company's human resources department.

"You should ask about the Employee Assistance Program, or EAP," she said. "There is most likely a hotline available, and often they'll offer a six-session opportunity to talk about where you are and then you're referred to someone else after those six sessions. These are all with trained clinicians."

If you'd rather not speak to anyone, there's always the Internet.

"There are several resources online that could be helpful for people who can't pay for hours of therapy," said integrative psychology expert Matthew James. "YouTube has recently been flooded with self-help videos. But it's really important to make sure the person you're watching is credentialed. Look for credibility. Do they have a graduate-level degree? 20-plus years in the field? From that perspective you can get amazing content."

And while many think of the YMCA as a place to work out or swim, it could also be a source for mental health assistance.

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