Washington, D.C. Mental Health Services Guide

Few private mental health providers are able to immediately serve people in crisis, while most public mental health programs, including the District’s, have crisis response systems that help people get mental health care quickly in an emergency. This usually makes public mental health programs the best option if you’re having a mental health crisis and need help right away. The people who answer crisis lines can provide caring attention and support as they help you determine the best response to a crisis, whether it’s inpatient treatment or an appointment with a counselor.

The DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) contracts with nonprofit mental health agencies to provide publicly-funded outpatient mental health services. In addition to affordable therapy, public mental health clinics provide specialized and intensive services that aren’t available anywhere else or that are hard to find in private clinics, like case management and day treatment. Consider seeking services at a public program if you need intensive treatment or can’t access mental health care in the private sector due to your diagnosis or financial situation.

The District of Columbia’s public mental health system includes two different types of outpatient mental health providers: Core Service Agencies (CSAs) and free-standing mental health clinics (FSMHCs). The main difference between CSAs and FSMHCs is that CSAs are part of the DBH’s Mental Health Rehabilitation Services (MHRS) program, while FSMHCs are independent of the MHRS program. There are different eligibility criteria to qualify for services at CSAs and FSMHCs.

To be eligible for MHRS services, you must be a District resident and have a severe mental illness (SMI). This means you must have a mental health condition listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) that significantly disrupts your daily life and limits your ability to function independently. Examples include a psychotic disorder that requires you to live in supportive housing or a severe depressive disorder that has made it impossible for you to maintain employment and that has isolated you socially.

The eligibility criteria for FSMHCs are less strict. Programs that qualify as FSMHCs are freer to determine their own eligibility criteria and typically don’t limit services to people with SMI. However, criteria vary from program to program, and it’s not always easy to tell which DBH-certified programs are CSAs and which are FSMHCs. Some DBH-certified programs operate as both. The best way to find out whether you’re eligible is to call a program you’re interested in or call the Access HelpLine (888-793-4357). Even if you don’t qualify, the counselor you speak with will usually be able to give you referrals to affordable nonprofit providers.

The best way to find out about public mental health services in Washington, DC, is to contact the program you’re interested in directly or call the Access HelpLine at (888) 7WE-HELP or 888-793-4357. The Access HelpLine serves as a central information and referral hub as well as a crisis line for people who need immediate care. Any people seeking information about mental health care for themselves or loved ones can use the Access HelpLine whether they are in crisis or not.

For general information about the public mental health system in the District, you can call the DBH general information line at (202) 673-2200. You can walk in for a same-day assessment at the DBH clinic at 35 K Street NE and can reach the K Street clinic by phone at (202) 442-4202. The direct number for the adult mobile crisis team is (202) 673-9300. The next section of this article includes contact information for certified public adult mental health providers in Washington, DC. Some providers have stricter eligibility criteria than others. We recommend contacting them directly to find out whether you’re eligible to receive counseling or other services there.