LifeNet, a free and confidential behavioral health crisis, information and referral hotline was acquired by the Mental Health Association of New York City (MHA-NYC) in 1994.  Through a partnership with New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene beginning in 1996, LifeNet expanded exponentially into what is now New York's most heavily used, multilingual, behavioral health hotline staffed round the clock by mental health professionals and counselors.  LifeNet receives over 10,000 calls each month from individuals and family members  seeking help, information, or assistance with a service referral. We also assist behavioral health professionals seeking help with service referrals.

LifeNet is much more than a telephone crisis line.  It is a comprehensive crisis call center with well trained and compassionate staff responding to nine separate in-coming hotlines - 24/7. These life-saving, award-winning hotlines have expanded to incorporate the newest technologies, such as texting and web-based services, to reach and respond to an ever growing and diverse audience. MHA-NYC's LifeNet is dedicated to state-of-the-art behavioral health crisis service and innovation through technology, and plays a vital role in New York's community behavioral health system by supporting individuals and communities in need every day and in times of crisis.

LifeNet's features include:

• Nine hotlines answered 24/7/365 by trained crisis counselors, including:
• New York State hotline for addictions and problem gambling
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for the metropolitan area
• Spanish-language LifeNet
• Mandarin + Cantonese-language LifeNet
• Emergency Hotlines on 9 area bridges
• Partnerships with Mobile Crisis Teams and 911 Emergency Service
• Telephonic follow-up and support
• A high volume, comprehensive web-based portal into thousands of New York City Regional  resources and the latest news and articles about best practice treatments.

LifeNet is a member of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline a network of over 140 certified crisis centers nationwide funded by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and also administered by MHA-NYC.   In an independent evaluation conducted by nationally acclaimed researchers, LifeNet was shown to reduce emotional distress and suicidality.

LifeNet follows national standards in risk assessment established by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. It is certified by the American Association of Suicidology (AAS), the world's oldest organization dedicated to research and best practices in suicide.  LifeNet is a member of the Alliance of Informational Referral Systems (AIRS), the professional association for over 1,200 community information and referral providers in the United States and Canada.

Every program has its defining moments --- and like so many other organizations, September 11, 2001 was MHA-NYC's when LifeNet applied its expertise to respond quickly and link people in crisis to mental health services within hours of the World Trade Center attacks.  Since that moment LifeNet has continued to provide behavioral health referrals to victims of 9/11, with support, funding, and collaboration with New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the New York State Office of Mental Health.  Catapulted into the national spotlight in 2001, LifeNet's role in mental health disaster response expanded beyond New York City's borders when it was called upon by the American Red Cross (ARC) to administer their international Mental Health Recovery Benefits Program post-9/11, and again by ARC in 2005 after the Gulf Coast hurricanes.

LifeNet is funded through contracts with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; the New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services; the New York State Office of Mental Health; the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; and through the generosity of foundations, corporations, and individual donations.  

For more information about MHA - NYC's many educational seminars, outreach and support service programs please contact Lisa Furst, Director of Outreach and Education.

If you are a service provider and would like your program listed in the LifeNet database, please fill out the Add or Correct Info tab at: http://newyorkcity.ny.networkofcare.org/mh/resource/find.cfm.  Please note that LifeNet does not currently list any direct private practice or private group practices in the database.