
National Hotline Directory for Parents and Teens in Crisis
This updated directory replaces outdated numbers and older web addresses with current, reputable national resources. Families should call 911 for immediate danger, violence in progress, medical emergencies, overdose emergencies, or any situation where a person may be unable to remain safe. For suicide concerns, mental health crisis, emotional distress, or substance-related emotional crisis, 988 is now the primary national crisis number in the United States.
• A person has attempted suicide or may act imminently
• There is an overdose, poisoning with severe symptoms, seizure, or trouble breathing
• Abuse, assault, or violence is happening now
• A child is missing, abducted, trafficked, or being exploited
Quick Reference Hotline Chart
| Crisis Need | Resource | Phone / Text | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immediate danger | Emergency Services | Call 911 | Local emergency response |
| Suicide, emotional crisis, mental health distress | 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline | Call 988 Text 988 | 988lifeline.org |
| Text-based crisis support | Crisis Text Line | Text HOME to 741741 | crisistextline.org |
| Parent, caregiver, youth, or family stress | National Parent & Youth Helpline | 855-427-2736 Call or text | nationalparentyouthhelpline.org |
| Teen peer support | Teen Line | 800-852-8336 Text TEEN to 839863 | didihirsch.org/teenline |
| Youth and family crisis support | Boys Town National Hotline | 800-448-3000 Text VOICE to 20121 | yourlifeyourvoice.org |
| Youth peer crisis line | YouthLine | 877-968-8491 Text teen2teen to 839863 | theyouthline.org |
| Runaway, homeless, or at-risk youth | National Runaway Safeline | 800-RUNAWAY 800-786-2929 | 1800runaway.org |
| Child abuse or neglect concerns | Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline | 800-422-4453 Call or text | childhelphotline.org |
| Missing child or online exploitation | National Center for Missing & Exploited Children | 800-THE-LOST 800-843-5678 | missingkids.org report.cybertip.org |
| Sexual assault | RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline | 800-656-HOPE 800-656-4673 | rainn.org |
| Domestic violence | National Domestic Violence Hotline | 800-799-SAFE 800-799-7233 Text START to 88788 | thehotline.org |
| Teen dating abuse | love is respect | 866-331-9474 Text LOVEIS to 22522 | loveisrespect.org |
| LGBTQ+ youth crisis support | The Trevor Project | 866-488-7386 Text START to 678678 | thetrevorproject.org/get-help |
| LGBTQ+ youth peer support | LGBT National Youth Talkline | 800-246-7743 | lgbthotline.org/youth-talkline |
| Mental health information and referrals | NAMI HelpLine | 800-950-NAMI 800-950-6264 Text HELPLINE to 62640 | nami.org/nami-helpline |
| Substance use and treatment referrals | SAMHSA National Helpline | 800-662-HELP 800-662-4357 | samhsa.gov findtreatment.gov |
| Eating disorder support | ANAD Eating Disorders Helpline | 888-375-7767 | anad.org |
| Poisoning, accidental ingestion, overdose question | Poison Control / Poison Help | 800-222-1222 | poison.org |
| Human trafficking concerns | National Human Trafficking Hotline | 888-373-7888 Text BEFREE to 233733 | humantraffickinghotline.org |

Best First Calls for Parents and Teens
The right hotline depends on the kind of crisis happening. A teen having suicidal thoughts or a parent worried that a child may harm themselves should contact 988 or emergency services if the danger is immediate. A family dealing with runaway behavior, abuse, assault, dating violence, substance use, or online exploitation should use the specialized resources listed below because those services are built around those specific risks.
• Suicide or emotional crisis: 988
• Parent or caregiver stress: 855-427-2736
• Runaway or homeless youth: 800-786-2929
• Child abuse concerns: 800-422-4453
• Missing child or online exploitation: 800-843-5678
Sources Used for This Updated Directory
• SAMHSA 988 FAQ: https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/988/faqs
• Crisis Text Line: https://www.crisistextline.org/
• National Parent & Youth Helpline: https://nationalparentyouthhelpline.org/
• Teen Line: https://didihirsch.org/teenline/
• Boys Town / Your Life Your Voice: https://www.yourlifeyourvoice.org/Pages/ways-to-get-help.aspx
• YouthLine: https://www.theyouthline.org/
• National Runaway Safeline: https://www.1800runaway.org/
• Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: https://childhelphotline.org/
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: https://www.missingkids.org/
• CyberTipline: https://report.cybertip.org/
• RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: https://rainn.org/help-and-healing/hotline/
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: https://www.thehotline.org/
• love is respect: https://www.loveisrespect.org/
• The Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/
• LGBT National Youth Talkline: https://lgbthotline.org/youth-talkline/
• NAMI HelpLine: https://www.nami.org/nami-helpline/
• SAMHSA National Helpline: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/helplines/national-helpline
• FindTreatment.gov: https://findtreatment.gov/
• ANAD Eating Disorders Helpline: https://anad.org/get-support/eating-disorders-helpline/
• Poison Control: https://www.poison.org/
• National Human Trafficking Hotline: https://humantraffickinghotline.org/
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