Mental health services without insurance

I have a good friend who's been telling me that he hears voices in his head. He is 29 and doesn't have health insurance. Are there any mental health services that could help him that do not require insurance that anyone knows about ? We are in the Dallas, Texas area ! Thanks

Hi ChrissyD7. Welcome to Psych Central. You have chosen a wise course to seek mental health services, but before you spend lots of time researching, see if your friend is open. No one can do anything unless they are open to be helped. The other way people get hospitalized is if they are judged by a mental health worker or police officer to be a threat to themselves.

Okay there are more options than I can list here. Here are a few possible
https://www.dshs.texas.gov/mhcommunity/default.shtm

https://www.dallascounty.org/departm...ourceGuide.pdf

How do I get Mental Health Services with No Money and No Insurance? - Getting Help Now - Depression

NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness | NAMI: The National Alliance on Mental Illness is a national organization. Check for local chapters, programs and emergency crisis lines.

You will find these and others by doing a google search on
dallas texas free mental health services

Also ask the therapist here at Psych Central offers volunteers to answer a question
https://psychcentral.com/ask-the-therapist/

Hope this helps.

Exactly, determine your friend's willingness to seek and accept help.

If he does show interest there are a couple of avenues I can think of (I live in Canada and can't imagine not having healthcare):

- contact the Mental Health Association (they will have information on free resources, services, and support)
- find out if there are any support groups (not just for your friend but those for friends and family that you yourself may benefit from)
- if your friend works does his employer have an EAP? (Employee Assistance Plan - this is not insurance rather a 'clearing house' of confidential services)

I find it hard to believe that someone would have no coverage at all. Surely there must exist some sort of medicaid for the low income (do people get turned away at Emergency Rooms?) I don't understand this. Are there places that at least use a sliding scale?

Unfortunately, there are many holes in the US system for the working poor. Some of the links CANDC provided help people with their prescription drugs but do not provide services for getting the prescriptions (pay for the Doc). After my attempt, primary care docs wanted to refer me out to psych docs when I was only asking for psych medications that had been prescribed be primary care physicians to me in the past. (I think many doctors in the US are extremely afraid of getting sued and would say you need therapy etc. here is the referal). Of course therapy is 100.00 each time and psychologists are more expensive. I have an insurance license and have actually helped people apply for US Affordable Care Act policies, and when I ran the numbers, it is much more affordable for us to go without insurance, even if we have to pay a penalty. I totally agree with Doc John's assessment of the US mental health care system in this article he authored:

Outrage Over Katelyn Nicole Davis Video Suicide Misses the Point | World of Psychology

I also know of people at PC who are suffering needlessly (and are suicidal), in part, because they lack access to the mental health medications they need. The only way they get relief is going to ER and that comes with a very big bill. It is a shame that this happens so much.

ChrissyD7, Sorry for going off on a tangent, bottom line, have your friend call local government (city hall). They usually have a dept that is aware of all the services available in your community. If your friend's income is to high, he will likely have to pay for a psychologist on his own. So he'll just have to call a bunch until he finds one that accepts patients who do not have insurance. When I found one, the 1st available appointment was more than 30 days out. Hopefully, it is better than that where you are. I hope your friend gets the treatment he needs.