Please note: From Monday 26th of October 2026, the Edinburgh Crisis Centre will offer support on an ‘out of hours basis’, moving away from our previous 24/7 offering. Crisis Support can be accessed via our helpline, text and email service between the hours of 5pm – 7am Monday to Friday and from Friday 5pm, through the weekend until 7am Monday.
The Crisis Centre is open 365 days of the year and provides ‘out of hours’ community based, emotional and practical support at times of crisis. It is a service for people who are aged 16 and over who are using or have used mental health services and are resident in the City of Edinburgh when they are facing a crisis. This includes people who have seen their GP, used voluntary services and people who identify themselves as having a mental health issue. Over 2000 people contact the Centre each year, over half have made contact for the first time.
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri 5pm – 7am and Fri 5pm through the weekend to Mon 7am.
Carers of people who have mental health issues can also fully access all the services at the Crisis Centre.
We don’t define crisis and are led by what the crisis means to the individual person at that time. In 2004 the Scottish Development Centre for Mental Health worked with Service Users and identified the following areas as important for the Crisis Centre to offer support:
- Feeling suicidal
- Actively selfharming
- Having psychotic experiences
- Reacting to extreme stress such as physical or sexual abuse
- Disturbed sleep patterns
- Financial worries, and
- Relationship problems, i.e. with family, friends or neighbour
The Crisis Centre has a free phone telephone help line, a text and email service as well as face-to-face and virtual support. The centre has access to a wide range of information. When the person feels ready staff can support them with computer access to a database of local statutory and community resources to inform the development of their crisis plan. The Centre aims to give people an alternative to hospital and as well as working with people facing an acute crisis will work with them in a preventative way.
The Free-Phone Help Line:
The Free phone receives over 10,000 calls a year and is available Mon – Fri 5pm to 7am and Fri 5pm through the weekend to Mon 7am. Trained staff and volunteers give emotional support and work with callers towards reducing feelings of distress. At the Centre we believe people have strengths and can develop ways to deal with crisis. People using the Service are the experts in their own lives and staff are led by what the crisis means to them. Staff will support the caller to identify strategies they may already have to help them with the crisis and to develop a short-term crisis plan identifying informal support and local community based formal support. Where unmet needs are identified staff and volunteers will signpost callers to relevant community and statutory services. It is important to know staff at the Crisis Centre will not recommend services but provide information to assist the caller to make informed choices. Everyone using the Crisis Centre is encouraged to share their crisis plan with carers, friends and professionals working with them.
Collecting Information
This service is confidential and all information collected about callers is kept securely at the Crisis Centre and is used for data collection and staff training. We create a written record of the callers contact with us. You can use the telephone help line service anonymously.
Sharing Information:
Each month 25% of the people calling the helpline have experienced thoughts about suicide. Staff and volunteers are trained with the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills (ASIST) and work with people towards their safety usually maintaining confidentiality. The Crisis Centre’s aim is to prevent suicide and there are times when it is necessary to share relevant identifying information with statutory services, if a callers life is at immediate risk or if a child or vulnerable adult is being abused.
Support at the Crisis Centre:
Face to face support can be arranged with the Crisis Centre via the free phone helpline or our text and email service. We have a harm minimisation policy at the Centre and staff will work with people to reduce the risk of injury. Self harming behaviour does not prevent people from accessing the Centre and everyone will be met with non judgmental, compassionate understanding.
Professionals can help people to get in touch with the Crisis Centre on the free phone number. Any other professional enquiries should be directed to 0131 561 0086/ 07769 952 537.
The Crisis Centre is a part of Mental Health and Social Care Services in Edinburgh and has effective working relationships with colleagues across all sectors.
Our Open Day events are listed in the ‘News’ section of our website.
Please call Claire MacLeod on 0131 561 0086 or 07769 952 537 if you would like further information.