Adult mental health services

The Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing State Services' mental health response team serves adults (age 18 and older) who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing in Minnesota. This team of licensed, professional staff fluent in American Sign Language provides the following mental health services:

• Assessment and stabilization
• Crisis intervention
• Counseling services and treatment
• Community placement assistance
• Care coordination
• Individual and family consultation
• Aftercare planning

Please complete our Mental Health Referral Form for services or referral. 

Download the brochure Bridging Barriers to Mental Health.

We also provide funding to the following community-based services for adults:

• Community-based mental health services, including a drop in center. For details and contact information, please see the Community services and drop in center grant page.
• For psychiatry services and medication management, there is a grant supporting a licensed psychiatrist trained to provide culturally and linguistically affirmative services virtually to deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing Minnesotans. For details and contact information, please see the Telepsychiatry services for adults and children grant page.

Other mental health resources

Minnesota Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program specializes in providing substance use disorder treatment to people who are deaf and hard of hearing. 

We also have a directory of private practice providers and other providers who are fluent in American Sign Language.

Crisis services

Crisis services are phone numbers or online services you can call, text or chat when you need to talk with someone right away. Two crisis lines are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

• The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available to anyone. 
• Videophone users: Call 988 from your videophone. 
• Captioned phone and TTY users: Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988. 
• To text 988, enter 988 and send a text message to get connected. 
• To use 988’s chat feature, go to 988lifeline.org/chat. 

DeafLEAD

• DeafLEAD provides a videophone crisis line in American Sign Language (ASL) for people who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing. 
• Videophone users: Call 321-800-3323 or 321-800-DEAF. 
• To text DeafLEAD, send the message “HAND” to 839863.
• For more information about DeafLEAD, you can visit DeafLEAD's website.