Your (Unofficial) Guide to State-Sponsored Therapy in Indiana

You should consider looking into the Indiana 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 Indiana 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.

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 get free information about other affordable local providers.

You can get publicly-funded outpatient mental health care in Indiana at regional programs called community mental health centers (CMHCs). In general, all you need to be eligible for services at a CMHC is a mental health condition that is affecting your daily life. It doesn’t necessarily have to be severe as long as it is having an impact.

Whether you can get the services you’re looking for at a CMHC depends on your local program’s staffing and funding at the time, however. Indiana doesn’t have strict statewide eligibility criteria for public mental health services, but it does prioritize admission for people with serious mental illness (SMI) and limited means. So, some programs may restrict admission when resources are low and demand is high.

Indiana also provides most of its financial assistance for state-funded mental health services through Medicaid, so if you’re not eligible for Medicaid, you may have to pay the full fee at an Indiana CMHC.

Indiana ties most its public mental health funding to Medicaid. Most community mental health programs in the state encourage people who need financial assistance to apply for Medicaid or Presumptive Eligibility, which is temporary Medicaid coverage under the Healthy Indiana Plan.

There is no dedicated program for people who lack insurance but don’t qualify for Medicaid, and a significant amount of the state’s general fund that’s dedicated to mental health funding goes toward the state’s psychiatric hospitals.

The downside of this is that there are limited ways to get funding assistance for mental health services in Indiana. The upside is that most CMHCs don’t have strict eligibility requirements for admission, so you don’t necessarily have to have a severe mental illness to go to one. (Note, however, that some CMHCs restrict their services more than others, and you get priority admission if you have SMI.)

If you don’t qualify for Medicaid, you will be expected to pay out of pocket for services unless you have a private insurance plan the program accepts. Most CMHCs accept a range of public and commercial insurance plans and offer sliding-scale fee options to people without insurance.

One way that Indiana helps people with mental health conditions who don’t already have Medicaid is by making it easier for them to get Medicaid through Behavioral and Primary Healthcare Coordination.

Whether you want to go to a CMHC for basic outpatient services like therapy and medication will depend on what’s available where you live and how your local CMHC’s rates compare to other local providers’ rates. It will also depend on whether there’s a waiting list.

Many Indiana CMHCs are in locations where it can be hard to find other mental health providers. You may want to consider reaching out to one if it’s significantly closer to you than other programs, if the prices are better, and if you can get into services faster or just as quickly. You may prefer to go elsewhere if other providers are closer or have better rates.

However, if your symptoms are severe or you’ve recently been unemployed or homeless because of your mental health condition, you should definitely reach out to your local CMHC. Their specialized programs are designed to help you address these challenges and get the support you need to regain stability while living at home in your local community.

You can call your local CMHC to learn more about the services they offer and whether you might be eligible. You can find the numbers for CMHCs and statewide helplines and hotlines in the next two sections of this article.

Even if you’re not eligible for services at a CMHC, they have a waitlist, or they don’t offer the service you want, it’s probably still worth it to call. The people who work at CMHCs are knowledgeable about local resources and will often give you free information or even referrals to other affordable providers nearby, including non-profits that provide free or low-cost counseling.

The easiest way to learn more about state mental health services in Indiana is to call your local program directly. You can find contact information for all Indiana CMHCs, as well as the numbers for local crisis lines, in the directory in the next section.

There are also many numbers you can call for help no matter where you are in Indiana. You can find the numbers for statewide helplines and hotlines in the information box directly below.

Public mental health services in Indiana are managed on the state level by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction within the Family and Social Services Administration. For general information about Indiana’s system, you can call DMHA’s Consumer Service Line at (800) 901-1133.

However, you’ll probably get the best results by calling your local program directly. You can find the number for your CMHC, as well as local hotlines and helplines, in the directory below.

Public outpatient mental health services in Indiana are provided by community mental health centers. Some were among the first community mental health programs in the state and have been around for decades. They specialize in both outpatient and intensive community-based mental health services.

There are 92 counties in Indiana and 24 community mental health centers that serve those counties. Each CMHC has a main phone number you can call to get information about mental health services as well as a crisis line you can call to get help in a crisis.

You can find the website and contact numbers for all Indiana CMHCs, as well as the numbers for local crisis lines, in the directory below.

If you need information after hours or aren’t sure whether you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, it’s okay to call a 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.

Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are another great way to get affordable publicly-funded mental health services in Indiana.

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.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, only 44 percent of people in Indiana 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 Indiana state mental health services, call your local program or a state or local crisis line. You may find out you can get mental health services at a community mental health center 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.