OUR VISION is for a community where no lives are lost to suicide. Our mission is to use data, science, and collaborations to identify and implement effective suicide prevention strategies for Tompkins County.
On This Page
- Local Lifelines
- Additional community mental health and wellness resources
- Substance Use Disorder Services
- Crisis services at colleges
- Emergency 24/7 Help Line
Local Mental Health Agencies and Programs
Local mental health resources and providers to support people who are experiencing mental health crisis or mental health-related distress:
The County Mental Health Department has compiled a listing of Mental Health Resources. Note that this list is not a comprehensive profile of all local resources and is subject to change without notice. We will update this list as needed.
[last updated 10/11/2022]
Tompkins County Department of Mental Health
(607) 274-6200
Website
Clinic Services Offered
- Psychiatric services, including medications
- Nursing injectable services
- Crisis and intake services are provided by a small rotating team.
- 24/7 Mobile Crisis team available
- Therapy sessions in-person, by phone or zoom
PROS Services Offered
- Group classes
- Individual services
- Nursing injectable services
- Crisis and intake services are provided by a small rotating team.
Care Management Services
- Assessment for immediate needs such as assistance with food or pharmacy.
- Continue to work with member’s providers to link/connect our members to viable community resources they may need;
- Provide all necessary supports to help our members navigate through this difficult time
Advocacy Center
(607) 277-5000
Website
- Free advocacy and support services for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, rape, and child sexual abuse.
- 24-hour hotline: 607-277-5000
- Office (Business Hours): 607-277-3203, www.actompkins.org, info@actompkins.org
Cayuga Medical Center
(607)274-4011
Website
- Local hospital
- Emergency Department, Adult/Adolescent services, behavioral health services
Family & Children’s Service
(607) 273-7494
Website
- Family & Children’s Service provides mental health services (counseling and psychiatry) to clients through in-person, telephone and video chat platform.
- Intakes for new clients are available by telephone Monday through Thursday, 9am to 5pm, and Friday, 8am to 4pm. Call (607) 273-7494 for all requests; calls will be returned as soon as possible.
- Outreach Worker Program: located in Downtown Ithaca and the City’s West End. The program provides crisis support via outreach workers trained and equipped to assist people who are distressed or experiencing a crisis. The workers focus on building relationships with people who are not typically supported or engaged by other services or individuals. Outreach workers are trained in crisis de-escalation. In a case where someone is a significant risk to themselves or others, or having an acute psychiatric crisis, outreach workers will engage the Tompkins County Mobile Crisis Team.
- Open Doors provides services to youth up to age 21 who have runaway, are homeless, or at risk of either. The warmline, 607-301-3002, is available 24/7 for youth in crisis or for service providers, parents, and others to call for consultation when they have concerns about a youth.
Ithaca Chapter of Mama’s Comfort Camp
- At Mama’s Comfort Camp, moms of all ages and stages are seen, heard, and held, 24/7/365.
- We are a free support network where thousands of mothers share judgment-free emotional support online and help each other out locally.
- Please join us on Facebook
Life Stages Counseling
(607) 256-4422
Website
- Life Stages offers outpatient mental health care for children, youth, families and adults. Insurance accepted.
The Mental Health Association in Tompkins County
(607) 273-9250
Website
The Mental Health Association in Tompkins County (MHATC) is open Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–3:00 PM, call 607-273-9250 to speak with someone and/or schedule an appointment. A warm-line for peer support is available Monday-Friday 9:00am – 3:00pm by calling 607-277-PEER (7337). There is no fee to access our services.
Peer Specialists
The MHATC has New York State Certified Peer Specialists. Peer Specialists share their knowledge, offer emotional support, teach skills, provide practical assistance, and connect people with resources and opportunities. In behavioral health, peers offer their unique lived experience with mental health conditions to provide support focused on advocacy, education, mentoring, and motivation. Peer Specialists also work one-on-one as role models, mentors, coaches and advocates and support people in developing psychiatric advance directions and creating Wellness Recovery Action Plans (WRAP). If an individual needs peer support, they should email jenkinscenter@mhaedu.org. A Peer Support Staff member will be in touch with 48 hours.
Family Support Services
The MHATC also provides Family and Caregiver Support Services. Family Support Services are delivered by Certified Family Peer Advocates. They provide an array of services to support and empower families with children and adolescents having serious emotional disturbances. The goal of family support is to reduce family stress and enhance each family's ability to care for their child. Services include but are not limited to education and information, individual advocacy, and family support groups. Referrals for family support services may be emailed to pvincent@mhaedu.org or cniven@mhaedu.org. Once received, Charles Niven, LMSW, FPA will reach out to schedule a video or phone assessment.
Youth Services
Youth Support Group meets weekly on Fridays via VSee. Youth Services Director Melanie Little can be reached at mlittle@mhaedu.org.
Mindwell
(607) 260-3100
Website
Mindwell offers outpatient mental health care for children, youth, families and adults. Insurance accepted.
Additional community mental health and wellness resources.
211 Tompkins/Cortland
211 (1.877.211.8667)
Website
- Dial 211, available 24/7, to speak with a local representative.
- Text your zip code to TXT211 or 898211. Available Mon-Fri 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.
- Provides referral services, information, connections to community resources
- Extensive online database
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Finger Lakes
(607) 273-2460
Website
- Support Groups and Classes
- Call the local Help Line (607) 273-2462 or email help@namifingerlakes.org. Visit namifingerlakes.org for updates on support and education opportunities.
- “Warm Chat” Text: HELPLINENY to 63640
New York State Project HOPE
1-844-863-9314
Website
- An emotional support helpline, 8am-10pm, 7 days/week
- Provides referral services
- Confidential, anonymous, free.
- Online Wellness Groups
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA)
1-800-662-HELP (4357)
Website
- Treatment Referral & Information Services, call the National Helpline, available 24/7, 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
- For individuals and family members
- Available in both English and Spanish
- Free & confidential.
- Mental Health & Substance Use Services online directory: https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/
- Resources for Families
- Navigating difficult conversations
- Supporting family members with mental health and/or substance use disorders
- Caring for yourself while caring for others
The Sophie Fund
- Supporting mental health initiatives in the Ithaca community
- Mental Health & Crisis Services Community Resources Guide
Suicide Prevention & Crisis Service
988
(607) 272-1616
Website
The Crisis line is open 24/7. Free and confidential. Call 988, 1-800-273-TALK or 607-272-1616.
Tompkins County Health Department: Opioid Page
607-274-6600
Website
- Opioid Statistics
- Local Narcan resources
- Substance use services
The Trevor Project
1-866-488-7386
Website
- Counseling for LGBTQ youth who are struggling or searching for answers and information
- Confidential, free, available 24/7
- Call 1-866-488-7386, text START to 678-678 or go online to chat
Substance Use Disorder Services
Alcohol & Drug Council
607-274-6288
Website
- Full outpatient treatment (including Open Access) staff is available daily via telephone and video.
- Assessments
- Medication Assisted Treatment
- Individual Counseling Sessions
- Referrals
- Group Counseling Sessions in person and via Zoom
- Call 607-274-6288 for more information, or to schedule an appointment with our clinical or medical staff.
- Prevention and Education staff are also available Monday through Friday and plan to have virtual and in person activities.
- Impaired Driver Program is operating in person classes.
- Virtual and in person Narcan trainings
Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services (CARS)
607-273-5500
Website
Outpatient
- Appointments are available in-person or by telehealth.
- New clients may call to get assessments if they are not a current patient
Opioid Treatment Program
- Telehealth appoints are being done when appropriate
- Continue to take admissions
Residence
- Capacity reduced to 52 to provide quarantine space if needed
- Continue to accept referrals
NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS)
- Online treatment directory, to find available in-patient & out-patient services
- Project COPE: Community Overdose Prevention Education
- overdose prevention and harm reduction education
- to empower people to learn how to prevent overdoses and save lives in their community
- HopeLINE: a 24/7 helpline
- Call 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) for immediate assistance
The REACH Project, Inc.
(607) 273-7000
Website
Email: contact@reachmed.org
The REACH Project Inc. is a nonprofit organization with the belief that all individuals deserve respectful, equitable, access to compassionate healthcare in a setting where they will not be stigmatized or judged based on drug use, homelessness, or any other issue that may cause less than adequate care in today's healthcare environment.
Offers a wide range of services in a stigma-free, inclusive setting including:- Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (telehealth or in-person)
- Hep C/HIV Testing Treatment
- Primary Care
- Behavioral Services
LEAD (Law Enforcement Assistant Diversion)
- A program where law enforcement collaborates with an intensive case management service to divert people from the criminal justice system into services. Services are rooted in harm reduction and are also client-centered. The case managers are employed through Reach Medical and meet every other week with members of IPD, the district attorney’s office, a member of the assigned counsel, and other people who work in human services. LEAD candidates are members of our community who may be engaged in substance use, are living in poverty, or living with a mental illness.
REACH Medical Street Outreach
- Sends nurses and Community Health Workers into Ithaca 5 days per week to facilitate acute care, social determinants of health care and Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) needs in-person and telemed.
Southern Tier AIDS Program (STAP, Inc.)
(607) 272-4098
Website
- Prevention Services (Narcan training, fentanyl testing strips, syringe exchange, etc.)
- Opioid Overdose Prevention Program (OOPP): a skill-building program designed to prevent fatal opiate drug overdoses. This educational session is offered to IDUs, friends/family members, interested community members, and local service providers.
Crisis services at colleges
Cornell
Mental Health at Cornell: mentalhealth.cornell.edu/
Ithaca College
Counseling and Psychological Services for enrolled students only: ithaca.edu/center-counseling-and-psychological-services
TC3
(607) 844-6577
- If there is an immediate threat to self or others, physical injury or a safety concern, call 988 or if you are on campus, call Campus Police at (607) 844-6511. If you are off campus, call 988 or visit your nearest emergency room.
- If you feel like you are in a non-life threatening crisis, please visit the Health Center, Room 118A or the Wellness Center, Room 122 where you can receive immediate support or call (607) 844-6577 to speak directly with a Clinical Counselor.
- SUNY Crisis Text Line: Text Got5U to 741-741
- SUNY Middle Earth Peer-to-Peer Assistance Hotline: (518) 442-5777
EMERGENCY AND CRISIS CONTACTS FOR 24-HOUR HELP if you or someone you know feels the need to speak with a mental health professional:
- For life-threatening emergencies, dial 911
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, DIAL 988 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line, text HOME to 741-741.
- Ithaca’s Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service hotline, 1-607-272-1616.
- Veterans Crisis Line, for Veterans and their loved ones, call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, or text 838255.
Visit veteranscrisisline.net for online chat and more.