September is Suicide Prevention Month, and North Texas organizations are using the rest of the month to remind residents that crisis support is available around the clock.
The Suicide and Crisis Center of North Texas operates a 24-hour intervention line at 214-828-1000. The Dallas organization, founded in 1968, says about 1,500 people in crisis call each month to reach trained counselors and volunteers. It is one of fewer than 80 centers nationwide certified by the American Association of Suicidology.
Anyone in emotional distress can also call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or chat at 988lifeline.org. Those services operate 24 hours a day.
As The Dallas Express previously reported, Texas’s 988 system has faced staffing pressure and abandoned calls even as volume has grown. Local centers and 988 remain the first places officials tell residents to turn.
Metrocare, which The Dallas Express has previously identified as Dallas County’s leading mental-health and developmental-disability provider, is among the agencies urging residents to seek care this month. The organization says it serves more than 50,800 children, teens and adults each year.
Why Organizations Are Speaking Up Now
Suicide Prevention Month is a national observance coordinated by groups including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. This year’s theme emphasizes connection and getting people to crisis support.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s North Texas chapter, which covers the Dallas-Fort Worth area and surrounding communities, is holding education programs through the month, including a September 17 “Talk Saves Lives” session focused on firearms.
Local demand for care remains high. Fort Worth’s Telos Project, which provides therapy and assessments, said it served more than 2,000 clients in 2025 and has already seen nearly 1,500 this year. Officials there have pointed to job loss, insurance gaps and household costs as factors increasing the mental load on families.
North Texas Giving Day, which culminates Thursday, September 17, is also being used by mental-health nonprofits to raise operating funds. The Suicide and Crisis Center of North Texas is participating. Grant Halliburton Foundation, which focuses on youth mental-health education and support, is offering a dollar-for-dollar match of gifts made through northtexasgivingday.org from August 27 through September 17, up to $75,000.
Events This Week And Next
On Thursday, September 17, the Center for BrainHealth will host “The Resilience Gap: Strengthening the Teen Brain in a Tech-Obsessed World” from 6 to 8:15 p.m. at 2200 W. Mockingbird Lane in Dallas. Researchers Eva Telzer and Mitch Prinstein, recently featured on 60 Minutes, are scheduled to discuss adolescent brain development and outside pressures on teens.
On Saturday, September 19, Dallas nonprofit Amplified Minds will present the second annual Louder Than Stigma Fest at 8 p.m. at the Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis St. Proceeds support free mental-health programs for Texans 18 and older, including therapy, peer groups, and art and music therapy. The organization was formed after the deaths of local musicians Frankie Campagna and Adam Carter.
A men’s mental-wellness gathering, BRO CHILL, is scheduled Wednesday, September 16, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the West Dallas Multipurpose Center, 2828 Fish Trap Road.
How To Get Help
- Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org
- Suicide and Crisis Center of North Texas: 214-828-1000, sccenter.org
- North Texas mobile crisis line: 866-260-8000
- Dallas County residents can contact Metrocare for ongoing services
- Residents outside Dallas County can find their local mental-health authority through Texas Health and Human Services
If you or someone you know is in crisis, reach out now. Help is available 24 hours a day.
Provided by Dallas Express
