Help Now:
Local 24 hour emergency services:
- Emergency Services - Tel: 999
If you need immediate help from the police, the ambulance service or the fire brigade - Emergency Housing - Tel: 0800 032 5968 Freephone
If you become homeless outside of office hours, you can call the Council Housing Department's out of hours number - Emergency Social Work Service (ESWS) - Tel: 0800 731 6969 Freephone
ESWS provides emergency social work service out of hours until Social Care Direct and offices re-open - National Domestic Violence Helpline - Tel: 0808 2000 247 Freephone
The helpline can provide access to 24-hour emergency refuge accommodation, as well as an information service, including safety planning and translation facilities to women and children experiencing domestic violence - NHS 24 - Tel: 08454 24 24 24
If you or someone who you care for is unwell and it cannot wait until the GP Surgery re-opens, you can call NHS 24. NHS 24 provides confidential telephone health advice and information - Mental Health Assessment Service- Tel: 0131 537 6000
This is an open access referral service for psychiatric emergency assessment for people up to 65 years of age - Samaritans - Tel: 08457 90 90 90
Samaritans provide confidential emotional support for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which may lead to suicide
Local 9-5 services:
- Access Point - Tel: 0131 529 7438
A Council service that provides information and support about housing options if you are homeless - Advice Shop - Tel: 0131 225 1255
A Council service that provides free and confidential advice on welfare benefits, money and debt issues, consumer matters, employment issues, and housing problems - Advocard - Tel: 0131 554 5307
Provides independent advocacy to people who use or have used mental health services and who live in the community or are in the Royal Edinburgh Hospital - Citizens Advice Bureau - Tel: 0131 557 1500
Offers free and confidential advice on a range of issues including employment, housing, money and welfare benefits - Edinburgh Carers Council - Tel: 0131 554 5153
Provides information and advocacy to carers of people with a mental health problem and who use mental health services - Legal Services Agency - Tel: 0131 228 9993
Provides legal advice and representation to people with mental health problems and their carers - Mental Welfare Commission User and Carer Advice Line (freephone) - Tel: 0800 389 6809
Provides a telephone advice service to help service users and carers to understand more about individuals' rights and effective use of mental health and incapacity law. - Patients Council - Tel: 0131 537 6462
Is an independent collective advocacy organisation whose members are patients or former patients of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital - Shelter's Free Housing Advice Line - Tel: 0808 800 4444 (8am - 12midnight)
Provides free and confidential advice on housing problems and rights - Social Care Direct - Tel: 0131 200 2324
For Edinburgh adult social care services, including criminal justice services, during office hours
Welcome to the Edinburgh Crisis Centre website
We provide practical and emotional support to people over the age of 18 who are using or have used mental health services in Edinburgh and their carers when they are facing a crisis
Practical Support
We can support you to find ways of getting help to deal with the causes of the crisis you are facing. This could include:
- Financial difficulties including welfare benefits and debt
- Housing difficulties including homelessness
- Problems with other services or agencies
- Relationship difficulties
- Social isolation
- Substance misuse
Emotional Support
We can support you to deal with difficult feelings or thoughts you may be experiencing during a time of crisis. This could include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Panic attacks
- Self Harm
- Suicide
Diversity
We are an inclusive service and offer support to people who may have specific needs due to culture, disability, gender, race and sexuality. This includes:
- BME (Black and Minority Ethnic)
- Disabled people
- LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender)
- Men
- Women