Welcome!

Thank you for visiting. This page is designed to make it easier to find LOCAL mental health services and supports for teens in Northeastern Wisconsin.

Our goal is to help you find the most useful resources that will get you to the RIGHT help you need RIGHT NOW.

To search and find LOCAL listings of mental health services and supports in Northeast Wisconsin, please visit MyConnectionNEW.org, our community’s mental health service navigation website.

 

What do symptoms of a mental health concern look like in teens?

It can be hard to tell what’s normal and what might be the signs of a mental health condition. But if you are struggling or hurting, know that you deserve to feel better and there are so many supports and services in our community – the Fox Cities – that can help.

Here are some of the common signs of mental health concerns in teens:

  • Changes in Mood: Persistent sadness or low mood. Irritability or anger. Frequent mood swings
  • Changes in Behavior: Withdrawal from friends, family, or social activities. Avoidance of previously enjoyed activities. Difficulty concentrating or making decisions.
  • Changes in sleep patterns (insomnia or excessive sleep)
  • Changes in appetite or weight
  • Big emotions: Intense feelings of fear, worry, or anxiety. Frequent episodes of tearfulness
    Excessive feelings of guilt or worthlessness
  • Physical Symptoms: Frequent headaches or stomachaches without a medical cause.
    Changes in energy levels (excessive fatigue or restlessness). Unexplained aches and pains
  • Changes in Academic Performance: Decline in school performance. Difficulty concentrating or staying focused. Frequent absences or tardiness
  • Social Isolation: Withdrawal from social interactions. Difficulty forming or maintaining friendships.
  • Substance Use: Experimentation with drugs or alcohol. Increased use or reliance on substances
  • Self-Harm or Suicidal Thoughts: Engaging in self-harming behaviors (cutting, burning, etc.)
    Expressing thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
  • Sleep Disturbances: Insomnia or hypersomnia (excessive sleeping).
  • Changes in Hygiene: Neglecting personal hygiene and appearance

Need Immediate Help in An Emergency or Crisis?

Call 911 and Talk to Police

If you or a loved one is in immediate danger calling 911 and talking with police may be necessary. It is important to notify the operator that it is a mental health emergency and ask for police officers trained in crisis intervention or trained to assist people experiencing a psychiatric emergency.

Call or Text the 988 Lifeline

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Dial or text 988 if you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or experiencing a mental health crisis and get connected to a trained crisis counselor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

When someone calls 988, they first hear a greeting message. You are given choices of who to connect with in the greeting; the 988 Lifeline has specially trained counselors for Veterans (through the Veterans Crisis Line, operated by the Veteran’s Administration), Spanish speakers and LGBTQI+ youth and young adults. Your call is then routed to one of the national networks or a local 988 Lifeline network crisis center based on your selections and then based on your phone’s area code.

A trained crisis counselor answers the phone, listens to you, works to understand how your problem is affecting you, provides support, and shares resources, if needed. If your local crisis center is unable to take your call, you are automatically routed to a national backup crisis center. All these services are available in English and Spanish. The 988 Lifeline uses Language Line Solutions to provide translation to callers in more than 240 additional languages.

Did you know?

Several local law enforcement agencies in our community use “co-responder” teams to respond to mental health crisis calls. The Appleton, Neenah and Oshkosh police departments and the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office all use a co-responder model, which means an officer will respond alongside a mental health professional during calls involving a mental health concern. 

Mental health professionals bring expertise in de-escalation techniques and understanding of mental health crises.

Should I seek professional help? Take a screening

Online screening is a quick and convenient way to determine if you or someone you care about should connect with a mental health professional. The screenings are anonymous and confidential and only take a few minutes to complete.  

I need help finding a therapist. Where do I begin?

Below are a list of directories that can help you find a therapist who can be a good match for your needs. Many clinics and therapists have waiting lists, so it can be helpful to explore multiple options.

  • Click here for a listing of providers from the MyConnectionNew.org service directory that offer counseling services to youth and teens in Brown, Calumet, Outagamie and Winnebago Counties.
  • Psychology Today Therapist Finder – this tool helps you find local therapists based on location, type of therapy, mental health issues, sexuality, language and more.

Therapy finders for marginalized populations:

Hey parents & caregivers! Use this tool to create a customized mental health guide for your child!

The Wisconsin Children’s Mental & Behavioral Health Navigator is a free, confidential, online tool designed to help parents, caregivers and professionals in Wisconsin navigate (find, access, pay for) mental and behavioral health services and support for children, adolescents and young adults under the age of 21. Just answer a few questions about the child, and the Navigator provides a customized guide to connect kids and families with the resources and support.

DHS Launches Wisconsin Wayfinder to Support Families with Children With Special Needs, including Mental Health Conditions

Wisconsin Wayfinder is a new service, launched in Nov. 2023, that supports families of children with special needs – including mental health conditions, and connects parents, caregivers, and professionals with free, confidential, and personalized support. They provide “resource guides,” who will talk to you and help you find services and supports. Or, you can fill out an online request form to connect with someone who can help.

To talk with a Children’s Resource Guide on the phone, call 877-WiscWay (877-947-2929)

To connect with a Children’s Resource guide online, fill out this form.

Wisconsin Family Ties Helps Parents, Caregivers Connect to Supports & Services

Wisconsin Family Ties, based in Madison, Wis., is a parent-run, nonprofit that provides support, resources, and advocacy for families throughout the state that have children or adolescents with social, emotional, behavioral, or mental health challenges. The organization aims to empower families by offering information, assistance, and connections to relevant services and supports.

To receive services, which are free, parents or caregivers can complete an online request services form. The agency makes an effort to reply within two to three business days.

 

Mental Health Resources for Teens

NAMI – National Alliance on Mental Illness
Teen & Young Adult HelpLine & Resources

NAMI offers a free nationwide peer-support service providing information, resource referrals, and support to teens and young adults. Text, chat or call!

Text

Text “Friend” to 62640 to immediately connect with a Helpline Specialist trained to provide resources, information and support.

Chat

Click “Chat With Us” on the NAMI Teen & Young Adult web page to connect with a NAMI HelpLine. 

Call

If you are a teen or young adult with questions about mental health, call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) to speak with a NAMI HelpLine specialist now.

Resource Directory

Click here for the NAMI Teen and Youth Adult Resource Directory.   

 

 

 

 

 

Teen Line (teenline.org):

  • Teen Line provides support, resources, and hope to young people through a   hotline of professionally trained teen counselors.
  • Call 800-852-8336, or text TEEN to 839863

JED Foundation (jedfoundation.org):

The Jed Foundation’s Mental Health Resource Center provides essential information about common emotional health issues and shows teens and young adults how they can support one another, overcome challenges, and make a successful transition to adulthood.

Love is Respect (loveisrespect.org):

Focuses on healthy relationships and offers resources for teens dealing with dating abuse and domestic violence.

Mind Your Mind (mindyourmind.ca):

While based in Canada, it offers valuable resources and tools for teens, including interactive games and educational materials about mental health

About Healthy Teen Minds

Healthy Teen Minds is an eight-year, grant-funded initiative of the Northeast Wisconsin Mental Health Connection to improve the mental health of youth in the tri-county region – Outagamie, Calumet and Winnebago counties.

The goal of the project is to reduce the rate of depression among teens by implementing population-level strategies that focus on prevention, promoting resiliency and coping skills among youth, and interventions for struggling teens.