Wellness and healing are not only about physical health. Wellness includes having your needs met, physically, emotionally, and energetically. Healing cannot happen if you don’t feel safe or struggle with day-to-day needs.
The following list includes both national resources and those local to Middle Tennessee.
Suicide Prevention
The 988 Lifeline provides 24/7, free, and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.
https://www.tn.gov/behavioral-health/need-help.html
+855-CRISIS-1
+855-274-7471
Text “TN” to 741-741
State of Tennessee Crisis Services and Suicide Prevention. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, via phone or text.
Talk and Counseling Lines
A warm line is an alternative to a crisis line run by peers. Unlike a crisis line, a warm line operator is unlikely to call the police if they talk about suicidal or self-harming thoughts or behaviors. Most warm line operators have been through extreme challenges themselves and are there primarily to listen.
YouthLine is a free teen-to-teen crisis support and helpline. YouthLine is confidential to a point- while we will never share conversations had on the lines, we are mandatory reporters. If a young person is unable to agree to safety for themselves or another person or if someone has experienced abuse or assault, YouthLine may contact other agencies to ensure the best support and safety for the young person in crisis.
The Psychedelic Support Line provides emotional support during and after psychedelic experiences. The Psychedelic Support Line is staffed by rigorously trained, compassionate, supportive volunteers from diverse backgrounds who listen deeply and from a place of non-judgment.
Mental Health Resources
https://www.tn.gov/behavioral-health/need-help/crisis-services/tn-statewide-crisis-phone-line.html
855-CRISIS-1
855-274-7471
The Tennessee Statewide Crisis Line, available 24 hours a day/365 days a year, is a resource for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis. All calls are routed to a trained crisis counselor in your area, who will provide you with support and guidance, and work to connect you with appropriate community support. This service is free!
Domestic Violence Resources
24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, the National Domestic Violence Hotline provides essential tools and support to help survivors of domestic violence so they can live their lives free of abuse. Contacts to The Hotline can expect highly-trained, expert advocates to offer free, confidential, and compassionate support, crisis intervention information, education, and referral services in over 200 languages.
615-781-3000
AGAPE is a faith-based Christian service that provides counseling, crisis support, adoption and foster care services, pregnancy-maternity care, emergency domestic violence shelter, and court advocacy assistance.
Part of AGAPE Nashville, the Morning Star Sanctuary Domestic Violence Shelter provides emergency shelter to victims after leaving an abusive relationship, Court Advocacy Services in partnership with the Metro Office of Family Safety to assist victims of domestic violence in obtaining Orders of Protection, and a Mentoring Program to provide a safety net of counseling, education, and financial literacy training to survivors. Emergency shelter is available and residents are provided with basic food, clothing, transportation, and safety needs.
615-599-5777
Bridges Domestic Violence Center is dedicated to providing a safe pathway to independence. Through their team of highly skilled domestic violence advocates, they ensure safe, emergency shelter including pet accommodations, as well as resources to support long-term goals of healing, safety, and self-sufficiency for domestic victims, survivors, and their loved ones. All domestic violence services are offered in the strictest of confidence. Our 24-hour crisis hotline is staffed by our experienced team who can help in emergency situations. They also provide an outreach support group and shelter at an undisclosed location. Their services are supported by local law enforcement officials, government grants, corporations, foundations, and individual contributions.
615-955-0620
The Mary Parrish Center provides survivors of interpersonal violence and their children safe, accessible and compassionate housing with individualized care that promotes healing, autonomy and hope.
YWCA programs serve the needs of women, children, and families living in Nashville and Middle Tennessee. We provide the tools needed to be safe, independent, and successful in work and life while promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. We advocate on behalf of our clients and educate the community on how we can work together to eliminate racism and empower women.
Homelessness Resources
For more than 36 years, Safe Haven Family Shelter has led Middle Tennessee’s efforts to house, support, empower and advocate for families experiencing homelessness.
Our shelter-to-housing program is the one of the only of its kind in Tennessee and tailored to meet each family’s needs. We provide comprehensive services with a focus on affordable housing, employment and community resources.
Open Table Nashville (OTN) is a nonprofit organization that focuses on helping people who are experiencing homelessness. The organization helps people find long-term housing and rental properties accepting Section 8 vouchers. Additional services provided via partnerships with local congregations and organizations include a food bank, drug and alcohol treatment, clothing, shelter, education programs, and employment counseling. Open Table Nashville is a non-profit, interfaith community that disrupts cycles of poverty, journeys with the marginalized and provides education about issues of homelessness.
Human Trafficking Resources
Thistle Farms is a nonprofit social enterprise dedicated to helping women survivors recover and heal from prostitution, trafficking, and addiction. We do this by providing a safe place to live, a meaningful job, and a lifelong sisterhood of support.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is committed to understanding and fighting Human Trafficking. Our state has consistently been ranked among the best in the nation for its approach to this crime, as a growing number of advocates — from law enforcement to nonprofits to government agencies — have stepped up to play a part in the solution.
The Davidson Country-Nashville Metro Office of Family Safety provides domestic violence and human trafficking shelter services, child and elder abuse protection, court support, and victim advocacy, among its other many services.
If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free hotline, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-888-373-7888 to speak with a specially trained Anti-Trafficking Hotline Advocate. Support is provided in more than 200 languages. We are here to listen and connect you with the help you need to stay safe.
Addiction Recovery
Pagans in Recovery is a 12-step fellowship based on the example pioneered by Alcoholics Anonymous. Our wish is to assure people seeking recovery that they can recover without having to accept anyone else’s beliefs or to deny their own. We welcome those who worship or work with one or more Goddesses, Gods, Spirits, Energies, Powers, or Ancestors, and whose spirituality may include magical practices.
1-800-662-HELP (4357)
Text 435748 (HELP4U)
The Rainbow Program offers inpatient and outpatient treatment for pregnant or postpartum women trying to overcome drug or alcohol addiction. To supplement the rehabilitation services, the program also provides a multitude of additional service assistance including housing, mental health management, child care, food, clothing, shelter referrals, transportation, and family counseling. The program is particularly sensitive to the needs of minority women who may face cultural and language barriers.
The Davidson Country-Nashville Metro Office of Family Safety provides domestic violence and human trafficking shelter services, child and elder abuse protection, court support, and victim advocacy, among its other many services.
https://thetroth.org/heathens-in-recovery/
(267) 388-1223
Heathens in Recovery is a peer-based support group for those who are struggling with addiction, trauma, mental illness, or any problem that might be causing difficulty in our lives.
Shelters
The Nashville Rescue Mission provides shelter, food and clothing for adults in need. The faith-based Mission offers a recovery program, counseling, education about addiction and assistance with financial planning. Adult men (25+) are served at the Men’s Campus; women are served at a separate facility.
Room At The In is a Christian-based organization that provides winter shelters, a guesthouse and recuperative care, transitional and permanent housing, education and workforce development, and long-term support for those who call the streets of Nashville home.
Warming Centers
During the cold weather season and severe weather, Metro Social Services and the Office of Homeless Services operate an extreme weather shelter. The shelter opens when temperatures reach 32 degrees or below for a minimum of three consecutive hours and is used once primary shelters, the Nashville Rescue Mission and Room In the Inn, are full. Metro’s Extreme Cold Weather Overflow Shelter, located at 3230 Brink Church Pike, allows pets. WeGo provides transportation support to the shelters. Shuttle transportation is also provided on shelter night from key stops across the city. Shuttle vans will transport riders to Music City Central so those needing shelter can ride bus number 23B to the shelter.
Nashville Launch Pad is Dedicated to Creating Safe Spaces that Affirm the Rights and Dignity of LGBTQ+ Young Adults.
Food Banks
https://www.secondharvestmidtn.org/
(615) 329-3491
Second Harvest’s mission is to provide food to people facing hunger and work to advance hunger solutions. 96¢ of every $1 donated goes directly to feeding programs.
The Nashville Food Project is a community food project that brings people together to grow, cook and share nourishing food. Our work connects people to nutritious food and to each other through vibrant urban agriculture projects, made-from-scratch meals cooked in our kitchens, and food shared with local poverty-disrupting partners.
Rental Assistance
The purpose of the ERA-EPP Program is to provide eviction prevention assistance to eligible tenants to help prevent evictions and keep households that rent stably housed. The program seeks to prevent evictions through strengthening housing stability through financial assistance, legal representation, case management, counseling, and accessing coordinated funding; collect data to better gauge the scope of the current eviction crisis to inform in the creation of policy solutions; and build community education and awareness around the need of affordable housing and eviction prevention in our community.
MDHA is pleased to provide housing assistance to citizens of Nashville through a variety of programs.
https://www.rooftopnashville.org/
(615) 485-5920
Since 2006, Rooftop has been providing emergency rental or mortgage assistance to residents of Davidson County through a partnership with local congregations. Between 2006-2023, Rooftop assisted more than 11,500 clients, and provided more than $6 million in rental, mortgage and utility assistance.
Utility Assistance
NeedLink Nashville provides emergency financial assistance and has helped area residents in need for more than a century.
The Helping Hands Action Group assists eligible Tennessee residents who need a helping hand. We have no affiliation or relationship (financial or otherwise) with any political party, government agency, or any other outside group or persons. We focus on private programs that work directly with individuals one-on-one. Particularly needed in the primary areas of – Shelby County, Davidson County, Knox County, Hamilton County and Rutherford County – where there is not enough affordable housing, utility assistance, transportation, further education, tax preparation, job resources and more.
At NES we understand that many of our customers often struggle to pay their power bill. If you find yourself in this situation, help is here. We encourage you to access this website anytime you need assistance. It contains the resources needed to best navigate your options for help with your NES bill.
At NES we understand that many of our customers often struggle to pay their power bill. If you find yourself in this situation, help is here. We encourage you to access this website anytime you need assistance. It contains the resources needed to best navigate your options for help with your NES bill.
United Way of Greater Nashville serves Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Hickman, Houston, Montgomery, Robertson, Stewart and Williamson counties, and we are actively working to move families out of homelessness, make sure no one goes hungry, and provide assistance in times of crisis.
Emergency Financial Assistance
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides assistance with payments of Electric, Gas, Propane or other energy resource bills. You do not have to own the home to get assistance and your energy source does not have to be gas or electric in order to receive services (propane, wood, kerosene and coal are also covered under this program). The Fan and Air Conditioner Program The Elderly, families with children under six years old and disabled residents with medical conditions that are affected by extreme heat conditions are eligible to receive a free fan and/or air conditioning unit during the summer months from May until August.
Disaster Relief
During times of crisis and need, United Way’s network and partners step up to help rebuild lives and strengthen communities. We appreciate that support, and want to thank everyone who has helped—and continues to help—communities respond, recover, reimagine and rebuild.
From small house fires to multi-state natural disasters, the American Red Cross goes wherever we’re needed, so people can have clean water, safe shelter and hot meals when they need them most. Our purpose is to meet the immediate disaster-caused needs of individuals, families, and communities.
Family Planning, Women’s Care, and Reproductive Care
Hope Clinic has been at the forefront of care for women facing the toughest choices combining practical care with a merciful, non-judgmental approach. We provide annual exams which can include a pap smear, STI testing and treatment, pregnancy tests, first-trimester limited ultrasound, and birth control prescriptions. We honor the confidentiality and dignity of all our clients by providing medically accurate information in every appointment.
Planned Parenthood is one of the nation’s leading providers of high-quality, affordable health care, and the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With or without insurance, you can always come to us for your health care. If you’re concerned about cost, you may qualify for low- or no-cost services. Planned Parenthood provides emergency contraception, birth control, gender-affirming care, HIV services, pregnancy testing and planning, STD testing and treatment, vaccines, prenatal and postnatal services, and wellness and preventative care. Unfortunately, due to state law, this health center is unable to provide abortion services at this time.
Child Protection and Advocacy
The Tennessee Child Abuse Hotline accepts all reports of suspected child abuse and neglect for the state of Tennessee. The Tennessee Child Abuse Hotline is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Everyone in Tennessee is a mandated reporter. Tennessee Code Annotated 37-1-403(i) (1) requires all persons to report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect.
(615) 333-5832
The Children’s Advocacy Centers of Tennessee (CACTN) is a statewide membership organization dedicated to helping communities, through local child advocacy centers, respond to allegations of child abuse in ways that are effective and efficient – and put the needs of child victims first. Our mission is to promote, assist, and support the development, growth, and sustainability of Child Advocacy Centers in their service to at-risk, abused, and neglected children and their families.
(615) 425-2383
CASA Volunteer Advocates are assigned to one case at a time by the Juvenile Court. We help children and their families work towards reunification after children are placed in foster care.
Court Appointed Special Advocate® (CASA) and guardian ad litem (GAL) volunteers are appointed by judges to advocate for children’s best interests. This best-interest advocacy makes a life-changing difference for children and youth who have experienced abuse or neglect, many of whom are in foster care.
Legal Assistance
615-244-6610
The mission of Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands (“LAS”) is to advance, defend, and enforce the legal rights of low-income and vulnerable people in order to secure for them the basic necessities of life. We are Tennessee’s largest nonprofit law firm that takes a comprehensive approach to providing high-quality, free, civil legal services and community education for people to protect their livelihoods, their health, and their families.
A program of Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services, Help4Tn exists to be a resource to Tennesseans looking for legal information about a variety of topics. These blog posts are written by Help4TN staff attorneys, unless otherwise noted. These blogs are not intended to be legal advice. Instead, they contain legal information to help you learn about your rights.
We serve as a statewide coordination point for civil justice issues, educate policy makers, advocates and the public about civil legal issues, and connect vulnerable Tennesseans with civil legal help.
Immigration Services
https://www.empowernashville.org/
(615) 315-9681
Nashville International Center for Empowerment’s mission is to ensure refugees and immigrants achieve their full potential now and for generations to come. Our goal is to empower refugees and immigrants with resources and opportunities that will aid them in their resettlement and equip them to be successful in the future.
Since 1962, Catholic Charities has helped refugees and immigrants living in the Nashville area adjust to their new home and achieve self-sufficiency. Tennessee Office for Refugees is a department of Catholic Charities designated and funded by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to administer the state refugee resettlement program.
(615) 352-9520
Our mission is to foster growth, integration, and self-sufficiency by providing financial, technical, and professional support to refugees and the agencies that serve them in the State of Tennessee. We have helped thousands of displaced persons feel at home in Tennessee.
Veterans Services
24/7, confidential crisis support for Veterans and their loved ones. You don’t have to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to connect.
Operation Stand Down offers social services and support to veterans and their families. In addition to transitional housing, job placement help, legal assistance, utility payment assistance, and transportation. Operation Stand Down assists veterans to receive all their due benefits.
Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County maintains this page of resources for clothing assistance for veterans.
DAV Helps more than a million veterans every year. We stand ready to provide a lifetime of support to veterans of all generations, their families, and their survivors at no cost. DAV provides VA benefits help, medical transportation, employment and entrepreneurship, and transition services.
Tribal Services
As part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the mission of the Nashville Area Indian Health Service (IHS) is to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level.
The Native American Indian Association (NAIA) is a private non-profit agency established in 1980 to help improve the quality of life for Native American people in the state. The mission of the NAIA is to sponsor, promote and conduct programs to research on subjects related to American Indians; to sponsor, promote and provide social services and other forms of assistance to American Indians who are in need of relief; to locate public and private agencies which can provide health, education, welfare, employment and other services to American Indian people in the state of Tennessee, and to advise and assist Indian people in obtaining and utilizing such services; and to assist American Indians and persons of Indian descent in learning of and obtaining the benefits of the programs, services, rights and privileges to which they and their Indian tribes are entitled under the laws and treaties of the United States of America.
Offender / Ex-Offender Support
Project Return assists people who have been incarcerated to enter back into the community. The Project offers job preparedness classes, assistance with job searches, help keeping employment, help with housing, and provides an environment for transitional employment. The Program Services team can provide assistance to individuals with utilities, medical and dental services, substance abuse services, counseling, child care, voting rights analysis, identification documentation, food, clothing, bus passes, transportation services, and child support services.
The mission of The HELP Center is to provide ex-offenders, offenders, and low-income individuals support to restructure their lives and achieve success with counseling, educational, employment, and supportive services.
Dismas House of Nashville has two core programs – our main Reentry Program and an Independent Living Program. We offer our residents a wide array of services that are offered by Dismas House staff or through our many partnerships and collaborations with outside service and program providers.
Health Care Services
Shade Tree Clinic provides thorough, high-quality care to Nashville’s uninsured individuals at no cost, while developing a generation of excellent and socially-minded medical practitioners.
Alternative and Energetic Services
NCAT is a community of alternative therapists, utilizing education and personalized treatment plans to address physical issues and structural imbalances, as well as emotional, psychological and spiritual struggles. At NCAT, through educational workshops and therapeutic treatments, you will learn how to make positive changes in your life, transform negative thought patterns, have more control over your health and wellness, and find your community.
We work hard to educate patients about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and understanding the reasons behind their health issues. We don’t use medicine or surgery to cover up symptoms. Instead, we do everything naturally to support the body and allow it to function as it was intended. At Tennessee Alternative Medicine, it’s our pleasure to discern what’s causing the problem, and to help in whatever capacity we can.
At Mindful Nashville Therapy & Wellness Center, our mission is to help you break free from the cycle of suffering and discover ease and joy in this present moment. Our dedicated therapists and wellness practitioners are here to support you in cultivating a healthier mind and body.
The Lotus Room is an Ayurvedic healing studio in Nashville offering reiki, massage, sauna, and holistic healing.
Meditation and Dharma Centers
One Dharma seeks to create a sustainable community of dedicated, compassionate and engaged practitioners in the Middle Tennessee area and beyond. We’re committed to ensuring that the practice of meditation and the joy of awakening are accessible to all who seek it.
The mission of the Wild Heart Meditation Center is to make the teachings and practices of the Buddha available to all who are interested.
The Padmasambhava Buddhist Center was established in 1988 by Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche, with centers in locations throughout the world, including Tibet, India, Russia, Peurto Rico, and the United States. Now one of region’s largest Tibetan Dharma groups, they meet regularly at the PBC Yeshe Tsogyal Temple in Nashville, and hold annual retreats led by Venerable Khenpo Tsewang Rinpoche in Nashville and at Padma Gochen Ling, their retreat center outside of Monterey, Tennessee.
Animal Care Support
Frankie’s Friends is a non-profit foundation dedicated to finding cures and saving pets with cancer and other life-threatening conditions. We help save pets’ lives by providing grants to assist with the cost of life-saving or life-enhancing emergency or specialty care for pets whose families cannot afford the full cost of treatment. Frankie’s Friends assists families who demonstrate substantial financial need and whose pets, with treatment, have a good prognosis for return to a good quality of life.
Our goal is to provide low-cost, high-quality care so that pets stay happy, healthy, and in a home with people who love them.
Grief Support
Hand to Hold provides personalized support before, during and after a NICU stay to help ensure all NICU families thrive.
HealGrief is a social support network that is there when everyone else goes away and the real grieving begins. Everything we do is inspired by our core belief that no one should ever grieve alone. HealGrief provides the tools and resources to guide one’s journey with grief into healthy personal growth.
School Supplies Assistance
Need Help Paying Bills provides a comprehensive list to help locate free and low-cost school supplies.
General Support Services
Nashville Dream Center provides food distribution, backpack giveaways, Christmas for kids, and a free clothing store, among other services. The Nashville Dream Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit agency.
The mission of Dress for Success is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.
The Metropolitan Action Commission partners with families in poverty using a Whole Family/2Gen Approach. This approach meets the needs of both the child and the adult in their lives building a system of care around the entire family. Our programs and services break the cycle of poverty by addressing the root causes by increasing family economic security, educational success, and health and well-being from one generation to the next.