One of the greatest impediments to seeking care for mental health issues, both acute and chronic, is often finances. Fortunately, there’s a growing awareness that mental healthcare is just as essential as physical healthcare and needs to be readily available to everyone. As such, there are a growing number of free and low-cost mental health services across the country, including some right here in Detroit and the surrounding areas.

The truth is, there’s no shortage of care available, but the difficulty lies in finding the providers that work best for you. We’ve done our best to compile free resources available to you so you can get the care you deserve.

DISCLAIMER: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered medical or psychological advice. The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any mental health condition or replace professional therapeutic care. Every individual's experience with trauma and mental health is unique. Please consult with a qualified mental health professional, therapist, or healthcare provider to determine the most appropriate treatment approach for your specific situation. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or emergency, please contact your local emergency services or crisis hotline immediately.

A Brief Disclaimer

Before getting started, we have to get this out of the way. This list isn’t necessarily exhaustive and may not be fully up to date, so if you know of a service, especially a free service that we’ve missed, feel free to let us know.

Similarly, while we’ve tried to stick to fully free programs and free services, the availability of these services is frequently inconsistent; sometimes services are limited to low-income recipients or to specific groups of disadvantaged people. Programs are also renamed, merged, or, unfortunately, cancelled in some cases, so likewise, let us know if anything on this list is no longer available.

Crisis Assistance

If you (or someone you know) is in a crisis, struggling, or in need of rapid assistance with mental health, help is available.

On the phone, you can call 988. 988 here in Michigan is the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, part of a set of services sponsored by the State of Michigan. It’s also known as MiCAL, the Michigan Crisis and Access Line.

If you’re not in a situation where you can talk on the phone, there is also the option to text message 988 or use a live chat system through the same organization on this page.

There is also a specific crisis line for veterans (even if you don’t have VA benefits), which can be accessed here. Similarly, the Frontline Strong Together (FST5) is available to members of the police, fire department, EMS, dispatch, and corrections services, and can be reached at 1-833-347-8766.

If you’re in crisis, don’t worry about details like insurance or costs, don’t worry about the validity of your concerns over those of others, and definitely don’t worry about taking resources from others in need. You deserve assistance, and you can get it from these resources.

Another option sponsored by the state of Michigan is the Michigan Peer Warmline. The Warmline is aimed at those living with persistent, ongoing, or chronic mental health conditions or substance use conditions.

The Warmline can be reached between 10 am and 2 am by calling 1-888-733-7753. You will reach a trained and certified peer support specialist, who is often someone who has lived experiences with the same sort of things you’re going through, and is trained to help you through them.

For those in need of recovery from substance use, there are also a variety of free rehab centers throughout Michigan. You can find a full list here. Remember, too, that substance use issues can also be worth a call to the crisis line, where they can help you navigate your situation.

What to Do if You’re Not in Crisis

Many people find that they aren’t in an immediate crisis, but they still want to seek mental health treatment and care, and don’t know where to start.

The truth is, even if you aren’t in what you feel is a crisis, there are many possible reasons why calling the crisis line might be the right move. When you call 988, they will help guide you to the appropriate service provider, and can help you explore additional options, including in-person services, inpatient services, or traditional therapists you can call.

Our recommendation, if you’re in need of free or low-cost mental health assistance, is to explore starting with the options at the top of the list below. The Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network is very robust and helpful, and if they aren’t the right service for you, they can help you find the right service to connect you. From there, it’s just a matter of finding what works for you.

It can be a long journey, but even the longest journeys are completed one step at a time. Taking that first step is the most important part.

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Community Mental Health

The state of Michigan, through the Department of Health and Human Services, helps sponsor and run numerous mental health services. Those in the greater Detroit area and surrounding areas include:

Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority

Also known as the Detroit-Wayne Integrated Health Network, their website is found here.

They are located at 707 West Milwaukee in Detroit, 48202. Their 24-hour helpline can be reached by calling 1-800-241-4949. They can also be reached for standard contact at 313-344-9099 or 313-833-2500.

Macomb County Community Mental Health

MCCMH manages several locations throughout Detroit and offers a variety of mental health services. They are available 24/7, with a crisis line you can call at 586-307-9100. Non-emergency services are available at 855-996-2264 or 586-948-0222 from 8 am to 8 pm on weekdays. You can view their website here and their list of locations here.

Oakland Community Health Network

Located in Troy, the OCHN does not have a dedicated crisis line (they also refer you to 988), but they have a physical address and crisis center located in Pontiac, at 1200 N Telegraph Road, building 32 E. Their general office can be reached at 248-464-6363.

Other Facilities Throughout the State

If you’re further from Detroit, traveling, or just live elsewhere in the state, the Michigan government provides a directory of the state-sponsored mental health facilities and organizations. You can view the PDF here (or, if they change the link in the future, from this hub page). There are quite a few facilities throughout the state.

Detroit Regional Health Centers

Another option available to you is the sizable list of health centers located within 40 miles of Detroit. This radius encompasses as far south as Monroe, as far west as Ann Arbor, and as far north as Pontiac. Within that area, there are 126 different health centers.

The downside to this option is that not all of these facilities are guaranteed to offer free mental health services. Many, if not most, of them offer mental healthcare services, but they may not be freely available, or they may refer you to one of the crisis lines or other options listed above.

You can browse the list and view them all on a map through the HRSA Data Warehouse “Find a Health Center” map. This map encompasses the 1,400+ health centers and 15,500+ service sites spread throughout the country and sponsored by the federal government.

Henry Ford Behavioral Health Services

Throughout southeast Michigan, Henry Ford is the big name in healthcare services. They recently acquired many of the Ascension facilities in the area, which are now renamed under the Henry Ford Health banner. Henry Ford has several options available for behavioral health services.

The general Henry Ford Behavioral Health office provides addiction and substance use counseling and treatment, specialized care for children and teens, inpatient care, mental health care, outpatient psychiatric care, and neuropsychology. You can view their services and locate doctors or offices here.

Common Ground

Common Ground, in their words, “provides a lifeline for individuals and families who are in crisis, victims of crime, persons with mental illness, people trying to cope with critical situations and runaway and homeless youths. You will find crisis response resources, support groups, shelters, classes, and much more on their website or by calling the number below.

Phone: 1-800-231-1127 (speak with someone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week)”

Free & Charitable Clinics of Michigan

FCOM is a nonprofit organization in Michigan that utilizes donations to sponsor mental health services and clinics at facilities throughout the state. They have been in operation since 2008, though they carry the legacy of previous organizations that have operated since at least 1996.

While FCOM themselves do not provide mental health services, the clinics that are members of their organization and receive funding from them do. You can browse their list of member clinics here. The clinics in Wayne County (as of this writing) are:

Ann Mare’ Ice Pediatric Health Center

• 23077 Greenfield #200, Southfield, MI 48075
• Phone: 313.824.1000

C-Asist

• 23100 Cherry Hill St., Dearborn, MI 48124
• Phone: 313.670.9943

Cass Clinic

• 3901 Cass Ave, Detroit, MI, 48201

Hope Family Health Center

• 12121 Broadstreet Ave, Detroit, MI 48204
• Phone: 313.824.1000

Hope Medical Clinic, Inc.

• 33608 Palmer Rd., Westland, MI 48186
• Phone: 734.710.6688

HUDA Clinic

• 13240 Woodrow Wilson Street, Detroit, MI 48238
• Phone: 313.865.8446

iAMeRICA Center

• 19451 W. Warren Ave, Detroit, MI 48228
• Phone: 313.307.0088

Malta Dental and Medical Clinic

• 8642 Woodward Ave. Detroit MI 48202
• Phone: 313.288.2362

Mercy Primary Care

• 5555 Conner St. #2691 Detroit, MI 48213
• Phone: 313.692.8400

Popoff Family Health Center

• 10809 Mack Ave, Detroit, MI 48214
• Phone: 313.824.1000

Robert R. Frank Student Run Clinic

• 1234 Porter, Detroit, MI 48226
• Phone: 313.444.5490

S.A.Y. Family Health Clinic

• 211 Glendale, Highland Park, MI 48203
• Phone: 313.758.6100

St. Francis Cabrini Clinic

• 1234 Porter, Detroit, MI 48226
• Phone: 313.961.7863

The Luke Clinic

• 7354 Whitaker, Detroit, MI 49209
• ​Phone: 313.789.7862

Wyandotte Clinic for the Working Uninsured

• 3333 Biddle Ave., Suite A, Wyandotte, MI 48192
• Phone: 734.365.3560

Many of these clinics serve areas outside of Wayne County, and surrounding counties also have facilities participating. Oakland County, for example, adds eight more clinics to the list. Alternatively, you can download their full list of clinics in PDF form here.

Michigan Mental Health Networker

Michigan Mental Health Networker is a simple resource that provides a list of mental health providers, including therapists and agencies, sorted by location. Find your county or region and browse the directories here.

The site doesn’t cover all of Michigan, but it does cover the greater Detroit area, mid-Michigan, and both the Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids areas on the west side.

Additional Directories and Resources

There are a variety of third-party sites that have also made an attempt to compile lists of mental health services in the Detroit area. As we all work to keep our lists up to date, these can fill in gaps we may have missed.

• Ferncare Free Clinic’s list. Ferncare is a free medical clinic located in Ferndale, and their list provides a rundown of over a dozen options, as well as several crisis lines and other available services. Note that this list is a little old, from the start of the COVID pandemic, so some of the advice may be different now.
• To Write Love On Her Arms’ list. TWLOHA is a large national effort to both provide resources for mental health and to help reduce the stigma surrounding seeking mental health care.
• NAMI Detroit. The National Alliance on Mental Health, Detroit affiliate, provides resources and hosts events to help shift and remove barriers between us and mental health.
• MiCAL’s Additional Resources list. MiCAL is the crisis line, as mentioned above, but they are more than happy to help guide you towards additional resources and care throughout Michigan.

This whole list may seem overwhelming, but we hope to provide some resources you can access, no matter who you are or where you live.

Whether you need emergency or crisis care, or you simply need a bridge to more stable, ongoing therapy, there’s help out there for you. At BMC-Troy, our group of physicians, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and psychotherapists are here to provide care to the people of Troy and the surrounding areas. We offer both telemedicine via Zoom and in-person visits.

While we don’t operate a crisis line or offer free services, we’re here as a great option once the crisis has passed and you want something more stable and long-term. We offer medication management and individual counseling and therapy, including talk therapy, EMDR, PIT, TRE, and more. We treat all age ranges from children to adults, including older adults. You can view our list of clinical services here.

If you are interested in making an appointment, please complete the electronic form for a new patient. We will call you back within one to two business days to schedule an appointment.