MassMen Resources for Help

Trusted resources for men seeking mental health, emotional support, and suicide prevention services.

Find help

• 988: Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
  • 24/7 Call, Text, or Chat 988 (Veterans: Press 1, Spanish Line: Press 2)
  • The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States. This new, shorter phone number will make it easier for people to remember and access mental health crisis services.
• Call2Talk
  • Call 988
  • Call2Talk is a mental health, emotional support, and suicide prevention program run by Mass211. It operates 24/7 and provides confidential, compassionate listening to assist people– including those who may be in distress or considering suicide during stressful times.
• The Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands
  • Call 988
  • The Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands is dedicated to ending suicide by combating suicide risk conditions and easing the impacts of suicidal activity through fostering caring, connection, resilience, and public understanding.
• Samaritans, Inc.
  • Call 988
  • Samaritans provides lifesaving suicide preventions services throughout Greater Boston, Metrowest, and across Massachusetts. Their services are free and confidential, and non-judgmental.
• Samaritans of Merrimack Valley
  • Call 988
  • Family Services’ Samaritans of Merrimack Valley strives to reduce the incidence of suicide in the Merrimack Valley and throughout Massachusetts by providing “befriending” to individuals who are lonely, depressed, and contemplating suicide or self-injury. In addition to suicide prevention, their services also include postvention services, trainings and seminars, and support groups.
• Samaritans Southcoast
  • Call 988
  • The Samaritans Southcoast is dedicated to reducing and prevent future suicides from occurring, to bring attention to the causes of suicide, to eliminate the stigma of suicide, and to support the survivors of suicide victims.
• Mass211
  • Call 211
  • Mass 211 connects callers to information about critical health and human services available in their community including community services, after-school programs, food banks, or where to secure care for an aging parent. Always a confidential call, Mass 211 maintains the integrity of the 911 system saving that vital community resource for life and death emergencies.
• Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline
  • Call [phone]
  • The Helpline is the only statewide, public resource for finding substance use treatment, recovery, and problem gambling services. Helpline services are free and confidential. Trained Specialists can help you understand the treatment system and your options.
• Office of Problem Gambling Services (OPGS)

  • The Office works by allocating significant resources to evaluation, prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery support services to mitigate the harmful effects of problem gambling and related issues through a variety of community-level strategies.  

  • Call the MA Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-327-5050 or visit their website at gamblinghelplinema.org. Learn more about problem gambling at mass.gov/problem-gambling. 

• Riverside Trauma Center (non-crisis line)
  • Call [phone] (24 hr. Critical Incident Response Line)
  • Riverside Trauma Center offers support services including on-site response, grief counseling, and referrals to help people after critical incidents. Riverside Trauma Center also coordinates the statewide Riverside-Massachusetts Trauma Response Network, which trains and partners with other organizations to develop locally based response teams throughout the Commonwealth.
• Inclusive Therapists
  • Inclusive Therapists offers a safer, simpler way to find a culturally responsive, LGBTQ+ affirming, social justice-oriented therapist. Use the zip code finder tool to find a therapist near you.
• Finding Mental Health Support in Massachusetts
  • Resources from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health to find supports and specialized mental health services that are appropriate for your needs. This includes outpatient services (medication and therapy), crisis services and hospital services.

Self-care and coping strategies

• ADAA Tips to Managing Anxiety and Stress
  • Anxiety and stress affect everyone. They can manifest differently in different people, and the level of anxiety one experiences can vary, but there are ways to manage anxiety, even if it feels out of control. Learn how you can use coping strategies when feeling stress and anxiety.
• NIMH Caring for Your Mental Health
  • Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, act, make choices, and relate to others. Self-care can play an important role in maintaining your mental health and help support your treatment and recovery if you have a mental illness.
• WebMD 4-7-8 Breathing Technique
  • The 4-7-8 breathing technique is a type of breathing exercise shown to reduce stress and increase relaxation. You can practice 4-7-8 breathing anywhere and at any time to help fight everyday stresses and calm your body.

For veterans

• Veterans’ Crisis Line
  • Call 988, Press 1
  • Crisis feels different for everybody and can arise from a wide range of situations before, during, or after military service. If you’re in military service or a veteran, resources are available to get immediate help or find a therapist or support group.
• MA SAVE Program
  • The Statewide Advocate for Veterans’ Empowerment (SAVE) program is a peer outreach program that connects veterans with peers to help them access benefits, services, and support for their overall mental health. SAVE acts as a liaison between veterans and their families and the various agencies within the federal and state governments.
• Home Base – Veteran and Family Care
  • Home Base is dedicated to healing the invisible wounds of war through direct clinical care, wellness, education, and research all at no cost to veterans, service members, and their families. Care at Home Base is provided regardless of era of service, discharge status, or geographical location.
• Mass Vets Advisor
  • Mass Vets Advisor offers an array of benefits and services for active service members, Veterans, and their families including education opportunities, employment, financial assistance, and mental health services.

For first responders

• McLean LEADER program
  • The LEADER (Law Enforcement, Active Duty, Emergency Responder) program at McLean Hospital provides specialized mental health and addiction services, designed specifically for men and women in uniform. Their team of physicians, psychologists, social workers, nurses, and counselors are experienced and experts in working with police, active military, and first responders.
• CopLine
  • The CopLine is dedicated to serving active and retired law enforcement officers and their loved ones. The CopLine provides 24/7, confidential services for callers who are dealing with various stressors encountered both on and off the job that impact a significant number of law enforcement officers and their families.

• First Responder Support and Behavioral Health Resources | MindWise Innovation

  • Resources from MindWise Innovation in partnership with the Riverside First Responder Suicide Prevention program to provide specialized support for first responders experiencing mental health challenges.

Housing and financial insecurity

• Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities 

  • The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities provides affordable housing options, financial assistance, and other support to Massachusetts communities. They oversee different types of assistance and funding for consumers, businesses, and non-profit partners.
• DTA Department of Transitional Assistance
  • The Department of Transitional Assistance assists and empowers low-income individuals and families to meet their basic needs, improve their quality of life, and achieve long term economic self-sufficiency. DTA’s services include direct economic assistance, food assistance, and workforce training opportunities.

Employment support

• MassHire Career Centers 

  • MassHire Career Centers serve as a vital link between workers and employers to bring about economic opportunity. Career Centers are helping put Massachusetts’ citizens back on the payroll, one person and one job at a time.

Health insurance

• Massachusetts Health Connector
  • Need health insurance? The Massachusetts Health Connector offers health and dental coverage from the state’s leading insurers and provides tools that make it easier to find out what plans cost savings you and your family may be eligible for.
• MassHealth
  • MassHealth provides health benefits and help paying for them to qualifying children, families, seniors, and people with disabilities living in Massachusetts. They may offer benefits directly or help pay for all or part of your health insurance premiums. 

Racism and discrimination

BIPOC Resources  

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Ayuda en Español 
  • Call 988, Press 2 for Spanish
  • Lifeline ofrece 24/7, servicios gratuitos en español, y no es necesario hablar inglés si usted necesita ayuda.
• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Native Americans and Alaskan Natives
  • Depression and suicide affect people of all ages and populations, but Native American and Alaskan Native populations can be at a higher risk due to historical trauma, adverse childhood experiences, and lack of connection to necessary resources. If you’re struggling, the Lifeline is available to help, 24/7.
• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Black Mental Health
  • The suicide rate among Black youth has been found to be increasing faster than any other racial/ethnic group. Black adults living below the poverty line are more than twice as likely to report serious psychological distress than those with more financial security. Additionally, members of the Black community face structural racism, leading to barriers to access for the care and treatment they need.
• The Effects of Racism on Mental Health: How to Cope
  • This webinar focuses on the negative impact of racism on mental health symptoms for people of color. In addition, it provides some coping resources to deal with the stress, anxiety, and overall emotional toll of racism.

LGBTQ 

• The Trevor Project (LGBTQ)
  • LGBTQ young people are four times more likely to attempt suicide, and suicide remains the second leading cause of death among all young people in the U.S. Connect to a crisis counselor 24/7, 365 days a year, from anywhere in the U.S. It is 100% confidential, and 100% free.
• Fenway Health
  • Fenway Health advocates for and delivers innovative, equitable, accessible health care, supportive services, and transformative research and education. Fenway Health centers LGBTQIA+ people, BIPOC individuals, and other underserved communities to enable our local, national, and global neighbors to flourish.

Family and relationships

• Fatherhood.gov
  • Fathers can find activities and resources on how to create strong families and healthy relationships, engage with their children, and build personal resilience.
• Intimate Partner Abuse Education Program (IPAEP)
  • The mission of Intimate Partner Abuse Education Program (IPAEP) Services at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health is to promote the safety of domestic violence victims. The program works with certified IPAEP programs across Massachusetts to hold individuals who use violence in their relationships accountable for their actions and to help them change their behavior.

Grief and loss

• Survivors of suicide resources  
  • This page contains resources for people that have lost a loved one to suicide, or school or a community struggling to cope with a suicide loss. These are some of the many resources available designed to help survivors of suicide loss address their challenging practical and emotional needs.
• Riverside Trauma Center
  • Extreme stress following a trauma can be overwhelming and cause lasting psychological effects. Riverside Trauma Center offers support services including on-site response, grief counseling, and referrals to help people and communities after critical incidents.
• Support After Suicide
  • This website has been created for people who are bereaved by suicide, usually referred to as suicide loss survivors. Our goal is to reach loss survivors as early as possible in their grief to let them know that they are not alone and that there are many resources available to them when they are ready.