Your (Unofficial) Guide to State-Sponsored Therapy in Idaho
There’s a way to get affordable mental health care that you might not know about. That’s Idaho’s mental health system.
If you qualify, you can get mental health care at a local mental health agency for a small co-pay or a low sliding-scale fee. But even if you don’t qualify for services at a state-funded provider, Idaho’s system can still give you information, referrals to affordable providers, and other essential help for free.
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If you’re in a hurry and want to get the most important information about what’s available in the Idaho mental health system and who it’s for, you can read our quick start guide below.
Quick Start Guide
Quick facts about Idaho’s mental health system:
- In recent years, Idaho has made historic investments in its mental health system, using the new funding to open new 24-hour crisis facilities, launch the statewide 988 crisis line, and expand the services available at community mental health programs.
- Public outpatient mental health services in Idaho are provided by the private mental health programs that contract with regional mental health departments to deliver state-funded care.
- All publicly-funded outpatient mental health clinics in Idaho accept Medicaid, and most offer low sliding-scale fees to people without insurance coverage.
What services are available?
- Idaho’s mental health system offers specialty and intensive mental health services that can be hard to find anywhere else, like case management, day treatment, and community-based support services.
- Outpatient mental health services including psychiatric evaluation, medication, and therapy are also available at most publicly-funded mental health programs.
Who’s eligible?
- Some services, such as state and local crisis and information lines, are available to any Idaho resident without exception.
- Some services are only available to people who have severe conditions like major depression or schizophrenia. However, more people have one of these conditions than realize it! In fact, 1 in 10 Americans experience major depression each year.
Where can you get started?
- You can reach local mental health crisis and information services from anywhere in Idaho by dialing 988.
- You can find numbers for your regional mental health department and crisis line, as well as links to pages where you can search for publicly-funded mental health clinics where you live, by scrolling to your region in the directory below.
To learn more about public mental health services in Idaho, keep reading. We’ve done the research to uncover essential facts about who’s eligible, what services you can get, when to go, where to call, and how it works so you can decide if Idaho’s mental health system might be right for you.
Who Is Eligible?
You should consider looking into the Idaho mental health system if you (or a loved one) are having a mental health crisis, have a severe mental health condition, have Medicaid, or have a limited income.
Everyone in Idaho can use the state-funded mental health emergency response system. If you or someone you love is in crisis, you can call a state or local crisis line to get the help you need, quickly.
PRO TIP
Use the State System When You're in Crisis
Public mental health services are usually the best option if you’re having a mental health crisis and need help right away.
State mental health programs are required to provide mental health crisis response services and are one of the fastest ways to get care when you’re having a mental health emergency.
The people who answer state and local 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.
Even if you’re not in crisis, you can call your local mental health hotline for information about affordable mental health services in your area. When you call, you can find out whether you might qualify for state-funded mental health services, schedule an assessment or intake appointment, or get free information about other affordable local providers.
Idaho’s behavioral health department authorizes private programs to provide publicly-funded outpatient mental health services. Since these agencies are privately operated, they have some leeway to set their own eligibility requirements.
While agencies that participate in the public mental health system prioritize clients who have limited incomes, are eligible for Medicaid, or have severe mental illness, most serve clients with a range of needs and income levels, including people with milder mental health issues.
Most programs in the Idaho mental health system offer basic outpatient mental health services like therapy and medication, and many provide a full range of outpatient and community-based mental health services including specialty and intensive services that can be hard to find anywhere else.
PRO TIP
Check Out the State System If You Need Specialized Services
The public mental health system in Idaho is a great place to find specialized and intensive mental health services like case management and day treatment that can be hard to find anywhere else. These specialty services can give you extra help when you’re dealing with severe symptoms.
Most programs in the Idaho public mental health network accept both public and private insurance plans and offer reduced fees to those who qualify. However, eligibility for financial aid to help cover mental health expenses in Idaho depends on several factors.
On their “Get Help” page, the Behavioral Health Division of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare states, “Adult mental health services are available from many providers in Idaho. Payment for services depends on your financial situation and whether you are eligible for Medicaid.
“If you are not eligible for Medicaid, you can still receive mental health services in Idaho. Depending on your income, you may have to pay a portion of the cost for services. [What you’ll pay] depends on a variety of circumstances such as the number of people in your household, your income, and other factors.”
PRO TIP
Check If You're Eligible for Medicaid
Medicaid is a great way to access the public mental health system in Idaho. Not only do all programs in the public system accept it, but you can also use it to get services from many other programs and private practitioners.
Idaho accepted federal Medicaid expansion in 2020, so you’re eligible for Medicaid if your income is 138 percent of the federal poverty level or less. You may also qualify based on a combination of your income, your medical history, and your mental health condition.
If you’re not sure whether you’re eligible, it’s worth looking into. You can apply for Medicaid in person, by phone, or online. To learn more, you can go to a Department of Health and Welfare office or fill out an online application on the Idalink page or Healthcare.gov.
You can find the numbers for your regional mental health department and search pages where you can find participating public providers in your area in the directory below.
You can call your regional mental health department to learn more about what’s available in your area or to get help applying for assistance. You can call the clinic you’re interested in to learn more about what services they offer, whether you’re eligible, and whether there’s a waitlist.
We encourage you to call even if you think a state-funded mental health program might not be the right fit for you. Even if you’re not eligible, or if the program doesn’t offer the service you want, they can probably still help you.
Community mental health workers are knowledgeable about local resources and will often give you free information or even referrals to other affordable providers nearby, including local non-profits that provide free or low-cost counseling.
Where Do You Call to Get Started?
The easiest way to learn more about state mental healthcare in Idaho is to call your regional mental health department or the statewide mental health crisis and information line. You can find contact information for your region in the directory in the next section.
There are also many numbers you can call for help no matter where you are in Idaho. You can find numbers for statewide helplines and hotlines in the information box directly below.
PRO TIP
Important Numbers in Idaho
The statewide Idaho mental health crisis hotline is 988.
The Crisis Text Line for the state of Idaho is 741741.
For help and referrals for mental health and many other needs, you can call 211.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline is 1-800-950-NAMI (6264).
You can reach the non-emergency NAMI Treasure Valley Help Line at (208) 614-0162.
You can find contact information for other local NAMI Idaho affiliates on this page.
You can contact the Idaho Division of Behavioral Health by calling (208) 334-6997.
Public mental health services in Idaho are managed on the state level by the Behavioral Health Division of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. For general information about the Idaho mental health system, you can contact the Division of Behavioral Health at (208) 334-6997.
However, you’ll probably get the best results by calling your regional mental health department directly. You can find the numbers for your region in the directory below.
Idaho Mental Health Directory
The Idaho mental health system is divided into seven regions. Each region has a regional mental health department that plans and manages the provider network for publicly-funded mental health services in their catchment area. Each region also has a region-specific mental health crisis and information line.
You can find the websites and contact numbers for all Idaho regional mental health departments and regional crisis lines, as well as pages where you can search for publicly-funded providers in your area, in the directory below.
Idaho Clinics and Crisis Lines
Region 1 Clinics and Crisis Lines
- Region 1: Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai, and Shoshone Counties
- Region 1 Adult Mental Health Crisis Line: (208) 769-1406 or 988
- Region 1 Department of Health and Welfare Behavioral Health Offices:
- Coeur d’Alene Adult Mental Health Services Office: (208) 769-1406
- Kellogg Adult Mental Health Services Office: (208) 769-1406
- Ponderay Adult Mental Health Services Office: (208) 265-4535
- Regional Crisis Center for Region 1:
- Northern Idaho Crisis Center (Coeur D’Alene): (208) 625-4884
- Medicaid Provider Search Tools for Region 1:
- Optum Idaho Behavioral Health Services:
- Member Access and Crisis Line: (855) 202-0973
- Optum Live and Work Well Provider Search
- Search for mental health clinicians, groups, or facilities in Coeur D’Alene, Post Falls, Bonners Ferry, Hayden, Plummer, Rathdrum, Sandpoint, and other locations in Region 1
- Optum Idaho Behavioral Health Services:
Region 2 Clinics and Crisis Lines
- Region 2: Clearwater, Idaho, Latah, Lewis, and Nez Perce Counties
- Region 2 Adult Mental Health Crisis Line: (208) 799-4440 or 988
- Region 2 Department of Health and Welfare Behavioral Health Offices:
- Grangeville Adult Mental Health Services Office: (208) 983-2300
- Lewiston Adult Mental Health Services Office: (208) 799-4440
- Moscow Adult Mental Health Services Office: (208) 882-0562
- Regional Crisis Centers for Region 2:
- A to Z Counseling Services (Orofino): (208) 476-7483
- Latah Recovery Center (Moscow): (877) 897-9027
- Medicaid Provider Search Tools for Region 2:
- Optum Idaho Behavioral Health Services:
- Member Access and Crisis Line: (855) 202-0973
- Optum Live and Work Well Provider Search
- Search for mental health clinicians, groups, or facilities in Grangeville, Lewiston, Moscow, Orofino, and other locations in Region 2
- Optum Idaho Behavioral Health Services:
Region 3 Clinics and Crisis Lines
- Region 3: Adams, Canyon, Gem, Owyhee, Payette, and Washington Counties
- Region 3 Adult Mental Health Crisis Line: (208) 459-0092 or 988
- Region 3 Department of Health and Welfare Behavioral Health Offices:
- Caldwell Adult Mental Health Services Office: (208) 459-0092
- Payette Adult Mental Health Services Office: (208) 642-6416
- Regional Crisis Center for Region 3:
- Western Idaho Community Crisis Center (Caldwell): (208) 402-1044
- Medicaid Provider Search Tools for Region 3:
- Optum Idaho Behavioral Health Services:
- Member Access and Crisis Line: (855) 202-0973
- Optum Live and Work Well Provider Search
- Search for mental health clinicians, groups, or facilities in Caldwell, Council, Grand View, Greenleaf, Emmett, Middleton, Nampa, Payette, and other locations in Region 3
- Optum Idaho Behavioral Health Services:
Region 4 Clinics and Crisis Lines
- Region 4: Ada, Boise, Elmore, and Valley Counties
- Region 4 Adult Mental Health Crisis Line: (208) 334-0808 or 988
- Region 4 Department of Health and Welfare Behavioral Health Offices:
- Boise Adult Mental Health Services Office: (208) 334-0800
- Mountain Home Adult Mental Health Services Office: (208) 334-0800
- Regional Crisis Center for Region 4:
- Pathways Community Crisis Center of Southwest Idaho (Boise): (833) 527-4747 or (208) 489-8311
- Medicaid Provider Search Tools for Region 4:
- Optum Idaho Behavioral Health Services:
- Member Access and Crisis Line: (855) 202-0973
- Optum Live and Work Well Provider Search
- Search for mental health clinicians, groups, or facilities in Boise, Eagle, Garden Valley, Kuna, McCall, Meridian, Mountain Home, and other locations in Region 4
- Optum Idaho Behavioral Health Services:
Region 5 Clinics and Crisis Lines
- Region 5: Blaine, Camas, Cassia, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka, and Twin Falls Counties
- Region 5 Adult Mental Health Crisis Line: (208) 736-2177 or 988
- Region 5 Department of Health and Welfare Behavioral Health Offices:
- Burley Adult Mental Health Services Office: (208) 736-2177
- Twin Falls Adult Mental Health Services Office: (208) 736-2177
- Regional Crisis Center for Region 5:
- Crisis Center of South Central Idaho (Twin Falls): (208) 772-7825 or (866) 737-1128
- Medicaid Provider Search Tools for Region 5:
- Optum Idaho Behavioral Health Services:
- Member Access and Crisis Line: (855) 202-0973
- Optum Live and Work Well Provider Search
- Search for mental health clinicians, groups, or facilities in Bellevue, Burley, Gooding, Hailey, Jerome, Shoshone, Twin Falls, and other locations in Region 5
- Optum Idaho Behavioral Health Services:
Region 6 Clinics and Crisis Lines
- Region 6: Bannock, Bear Lake, Caribou, Franklin, Oneida, and Power Counties
- Region 6 Adult Mental Health Crisis Line: (208) 234-7900 or 988
- Region 6 Department of Health and Welfare Behavioral Health Offices:
- Pocatello Adult Mental Health Services Office: (208) 234-7900
- Regional Crisis Center for Region 6:
- Southeast Idaho Behavioral Health Crisis Center (Pocatello): (208) 909-5177
- Medicaid Provider Search Tools for Region 6:
- Optum Idaho Behavioral Health Services:
- Member Access and Crisis Line: (855) 202-0973
- Optum Live and Work Well Provider Search
- Search for mental health clinicians, groups, or facilities in American Falls, Ammon, Chubbuck, Fort Hall, Montpelier, Pocatello, Preston, Soda Springs, and other locations in Region 6
- Optum Idaho Behavioral Health Services:
Region 7 Clinics and Crisis Lines
- Region 7: Bingham, Bonneville, Butte, Clark, Custer, Fremont, Jefferson, Lemhi, Madison, and Teton Counties
- Region 7 Adult Mental Health Crisis Line: (208) 528-5700 or 988
- Region 7 Department of Health and Welfare Behavioral Health Offices:
- Blackfoot Adult Mental Health Services Office: (208) 785-5871
- Idaho Falls Adult Mental Health Services Office: (208) 528-5700
- Rexburg Adult Mental Health Services Office: (208) 528-5700
- Salmon Adult Mental Health Services Office: (208) 528-5700
- Regional Crisis Center for Region 7:
- Behavioral Health Crisis Center of East Idaho (Idaho Falls): (208) 522-0727
- Medicaid Provider Search Tools for Region 7:
- Optum Idaho Behavioral Health Services:
- Member Access and Crisis Line: (855) 202-0973
- Optum Live and Work Well Provider Search
- Search for mental health clinicians, groups, or facilities in Blackfoot, Challis, Driggs, Fort Hall, Idaho Falls, Mackay, Rexburg, Rigby, Salmon, Sugar City, and other locations in Region 7
- Optum Idaho Behavioral Health Services:
If you need information after hours or aren’t sure whether you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, it’s okay to call a state or regional crisis line for help. The staff who answer are trained to quickly figure out what you need and can tell you what steps you need to take to connect with the right services.
You can also call or visit your region’s crisis center. In addition to providing 24/7 crisis help in person and over the phone, they can also give you more information about mental health programs or other local resources that can help with a wide range of needs. You can find their numbers and locations in the directory above.
Also Consider: Federally Qualified Health Centers
Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are another great way to get affordable publicly-funded mental health services in Idaho.
These federally-funded programs provide cutting-edge care in places where good primary healthcare was once hard to find. Most provide integrated care so you can get primary medical and mental health services at the same location. Each FQHC accepts Medicaid and Medicare and offers low sliding-scale fees if you don’t have insurance.
You can search for FQHCs near you by using the online search tool on the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration website.
Troubleshooting Guide
The state mental health system is complicated and can be confusing to navigate. If you’re having any issues, we’re here to help. Here are some of our solutions to common problems you might experience.
Problems and Solutions
1. You can’t get through to someone on the phone.
Except in extremely rare circumstances, someone should answer a state or local crisis line any time you call. But if you’re not in crisis, the person you talked to gave you another number to call, and you’re having a hard time getting through, you can try going to a walk-in clinic instead.
Many programs in the Idaho mental health system run walk-in centers where you can be seen during regular business hours on Monday through Friday. Some let you walk in and wait without an appointment. You can often be seen the same day. If the wait is long or they don’t have availability, you can schedule an appointment and come back.
We recommend checking local program websites for walk-in locations and hours.
2. There’s a long waiting list.
State-funded services are often in high demand. Idaho is working to shorten waiting times and make sure you can get seen for essential services right away. However, if you’re not in crisis, you may still have to wait before you can be seen by a therapist or other mental health provider.
Sometimes, it’s worth it to wait if you’ve found a good therapist or service. You can read our article on what to do before your first therapy session for tips on how to maintain your mental health while you wait.
If your symptoms are getting worse and you’re worried you can’t wait, you should call a crisis line. The caring people who answer can help you figure out if you need help right away and tell you where and how to get the level of care you need.
If you’re not in crisis but don’t want to wait, you can call a state or local mental health hotline, an intake worker, the main number, or your contact person at the agency to ask if there are other options. There may be another affordable local program they could tell you about that could meet your needs but has a shorter waiting list.
3. You’re not eligible for state-funded services.
If you’re not eligible for state-funded mental health services in Idaho, you’re not eligible for the service you want, or a local program doesn’t offer that service, the people who work at your regional mental health department should still be able to help you.
Community mental health workers usually keep lists of affordable local mental health resources for people who aren’t eligible or would prefer to go somewhere else. Ask for information, a printed resource list, or even a direct referral to another provider.
4. The state system doesn’t offer the service you want.
State mental health programs sometimes have to change or limit the services they offer based on their current funding. If you’re admitted to a state-funded program but it doesn’t offer the service you need, you have two options.
One is to try an alternative service that they do offer. The other is to ask if they can recommend an affordable alternative provider who does offer that service.
If they do offer the service you want, but it’s limited, stand up for yourself if they try to get you to do something else. Don’t accept getting pushed into something you don’t want just because it’s easier for them or because they can get you in faster.
If you’re willing and able to wait, tell them you would prefer to wait for the service you want, whether that’s therapy, medication, or something else.
5. You don’t like your therapist.
You should never accept bad therapy—or bad mental healthcare of any kind—for any reason. This is just as true in the public system as it is anywhere else. If you have a bad therapist, ask for a new one. Tell your main contact person at the agency, an intake worker, or a manager that you want to try a different therapist.
If you’re not sure whether you have a bad therapist, you can read our articles on how to spot an unethical therapist and how to do a background check on a therapist. If you don’t like your therapist but wonder if it the problem might be fixable, you can read our articles, “What If I Don’t Like My Therapist?” and “How to Fix Problems with Your Therapist.”
If you don’t like the first therapist you’re assigned, ask someone at the agency if they have a webpage or list of therapists you can review. You can read their bios and see if you think one might be a better match. Not all agencies do this, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. You can read our article on how to choose a therapist for information on what to look for.
If you’ve run into a problem that we haven’t addressed, don’t give up. Call someone at the program (or a state or local mental health hotline) and tell them what’s going on.
You’re much more likely to get the help you need when you advocate for yourself and are persistent. Tell the person you talk to what you need or what problem you’re having.
If they don’t help the first time, call them back and tell them. If you keep calling and keep calm and focused, you should eventually get through to someone who can help you.
Deep Dive: How Does the System Work?
To understand Idaho’s mental health system, it helps to understand how it started and how it’s changed since then.
Public mental health services have been around for a surprisingly long time. But for over a hundred years in America, the only way to get them was in a psychiatric hospital.
In the 1960s, Americans started thinking differently about mental health care. Conditions in psychiatric hospitals were getting worse and new medications made it possible to provide mental health treatment on an outpatient basis.
In response, new laws were passed that required state and local governments to establish community mental health programs as alternatives to institutionalization for people with serious mental illness. The most important was the Community Mental Health Act, which President John F. Kennedy signed into law in 1963.
DEEP DIVE
For More Information
To learn more about what the public mental health system was like in the early days—and how psychiatric inpatient care has evolved since then—you can read our article “Do Insane Asylums Still Exist? The Surprising Past and Present.”
To learn more about what inpatient mental health treatment is like now, and the differences between how it works in general hospitals and specialized psychiatric facilities, you can read our article “How Inpatient Mental Health Treatment Works.”
Many state mental health programs trace their origins back to the 1960s when these important changes started to happen.
Idaho is no exception. It started building community mental health centers in the early 1970s using federal funding created by the 1963 Community Mental Health Act.
However, less than a decade later, the state stopped funding and supporting its community mental health centers when this source of federal funding was no longer available. From the 1980s to the 2010s, Idaho’s public mental health system suffered successive funding cuts and service reductions. The cuts accelerated after the national recession in 2008.
During that time, many people were denied care. In an expert statement prepared for the state commission on civil rights, DisAbility Rights Idaho stated that from 2007 to 2014, “many adults and children with mental illness… sought community mental health services and [were] turned away by the [Health and Welfare] Department.”
DEEP DIVE
What Is the Structure of the Idaho Mental Health System?
Public mental health services in Idaho are managed on the state level by the Behavioral Health Division of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
In addition to operating the state’s two psychiatric hospitals in Blackfoot and Orofino, the Behavioral Health Division oversees the state’s seven regional behavioral health offices and helps them manage the regional networks of outpatient and community-based mental health programs that participate in the public mental health system.
Things started to get better after the “Jeff D. lawsuit,” which challenged the lack of safe public mental health care for children in Idaho, was resolved. The suit started in 1980 and was finally settled in 2015.
In response to the settlement, Idaho launched robust new mental health programs for children in 2018 and also started improving its adult mental health system. The state has been steadily opening new crisis centers for adults, which offer free crisis intervention as an alternative to hospitalization or jail, and has also been developing other adult mental health resources.
Idaho launched its 211 CareLine, which helps people find affordable mental health care, in 2020, and launched the statewide 988 crisis line in 2022.
That same year, Idaho made one of the largest investments in its mental health system in its history. Idaho is using these new funds to continue improving access to 24-hour crisis care, expand the types of services available at community mental health programs, and make other improvements.
You can use these new state services to get the care you need. If you’re in crisis or need mental health care and aren’t sure what to do, you can start by calling 988 or a state or regional crisis line—the people who answer know how the system works and will help you get where you need to go.
Conclusion
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, only 48 percent of people in Idaho who have mental health conditions get treatment for them. Many of them qualify for public mental health services but don’t know about them.
You can make a difference by reaching out and connecting with local mental health resources to get the care you need. If you’re not sure whether you qualify for Idaho state mental health services, call your regional mental health department or the state hotline. You may find out you can get mental health services through a state-funded program or that there’s another affordable option nearby.
The most important thing is to get started—the help you need may be only a call or click away.
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