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Free and low-cost therapy in El Paso

You don't need insurance or much money to get help in El Paso. Here's where El Paso County offers free or sliding-scale counseling, crisis care and help with drinking or drugs, much of it in Spanish, and the numbers to call.

Updated October 25, 2026. General information, not medical, legal or insurance advice. Programs and phone numbers change, so call ahead.

If you need help now: call 911 in an emergency. In a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988, any time. In El Paso County you can also call the Emergence Health Network crisis hotline, 915-779-1800, day or night.

Help right now

WhoNumberWhen to call
Emergency911Someone is in danger, badly hurt, or may have overdosed.
988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineCall or text 988Thoughts of suicide, or any mental health or substance use crisis. Free, 24/7. For Spanish, press 2 or text AYUDA.
Emergence Health Network crisis hotline915-779-1800El Paso County's own crisis line, 24 hours a day, for anyone having a hard time coping.
SAMHSA National Helpline1-800-662-4357Free, confidential treatment referrals, 24/7, in English and Spanish.

Emergence Health Network's crisis services are open 24/7, by phone or in person at 1601 E. Yandell Dr. Its staff are mental health professionals who can help calm things down and connect you to care, even if you've never been a client.

Emergence Health Network (EHN)

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) names a local mental health authority for every county: a public agency that runs crisis services and treatment for people who can't get care elsewhere. In El Paso County, it's Emergence Health Network.

  • What they do: crisis care, counseling, psychiatric care and medication for adults, children and teens, plus substance use treatment, including medication for alcohol and opioid use.
  • Who qualifies for ongoing care: El Paso County residents. Under state rules, ongoing care is mainly for serious conditions such as major depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, with financial criteria. A short screening decides what fits; people without Medicaid may wait when clinics are full.
  • Cost: EHN takes insurance and offers self-pay fees based on income. Ask about the fee when you call.
  • How to start: call 915-242-0555, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., to schedule. Adult clinics include 1551 Montana Ave. and 2400 Trawood Dr. General questions: 915-887-3410.

Help with alcohol or drugs

Texas pays for substance use treatment for people who can't afford it. The way in is OSAR (Outreach, Screening, Assessment and Referral), which HHSC calls the first point of contact for treatment. The only requirement is that you live in Texas. A counselor works out what care you need, from outpatient counseling to detox or a residential program, and helps you get a spot.

  • El Paso's OSAR is run by Emergence Health Network and also serves Brewster, Culberson, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis and Presidio counties. It sees teens 13 and older and adults. Call 915-242-0555, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. After hours, call the crisis hotline, 915-779-1800.
  • Cost: state help paying for treatment depends on your income, expenses and other resources. Sometimes you pay part of the cost.
  • Local treatment: Aliviane, an El Paso nonprofit, runs residential, outpatient and opioid treatment programs, including outpatient care for youth and families. Call 915-782-4000 and ask about cost.
  • Also try SAMHSA's helpline, 1-800-662-4357, for state-funded and sliding-fee programs, or FindTreatment.gov for licensed programs near you.

Searching for "free rehab in El Paso"? Start with OSAR. Our guide to IOP vs PHP vs weekly therapy explains the levels of care you may hear about.

Sliding-scale counseling

A sliding scale means a lower fee when your income is lower. If EHN isn't the right fit, try these.

Community health centers

Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) get federal funding to care for people with or without insurance. Fees slide by income and household size for incomes up to twice the federal poverty level, and no one is turned away for being unable to pay. HRSA's Find a Health Center lists them all. Two in El Paso offer counseling:

  • Centro San Vicente: free screenings for depression, anxiety and substance use, counseling for ages 12 and up, and psychiatric nurse practitioners for adults, at its Alameda, Pebble Hills and Myrtle Ave. clinics. To book or apply for the sliding discount, call 915-859-7545.
  • Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe: one of the largest community health centers in Texas, with counseling and therapy through its Social Services department.

Nonprofit counseling centers

  • El Paso Child Guidance Center: therapy and psychiatry from age 2 through adulthood, with fees by income and family size. No client is turned away for inability to pay, and se habla español. Call 915-562-1999.
  • Family Service of El Paso: counseling on a sliding scale by household income and family size, with free group sessions for the community. It takes most insurance. Call 915-781-9900.

If you're a UTEP student

UTEP's Counseling and Psychological Services offers free counseling to enrolled students. Call 915-747-5302.

Support from people who've been there

NAMI El Paso, the local branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, offers free support groups and classes for people with a mental health condition and their families. Call 915-778-5726.

Medicaid and CHIP

Medicaid and CHIP (the Children's Health Insurance Program) cover counseling and substance use treatment. Texas Medicaid mainly covers children, pregnant women, parents and caretakers with low incomes, people with disabilities, and people 65 and older. Even if you don't qualify, your children might.

  • Apply at YourTexasBenefits.com, or call 2-1-1 (or 877-541-7905), pick a language, then press 2.
  • Use your plan: most Texans with Medicaid get it through a health plan they choose (managed care), such as STAR. See providers in your plan's network; the member number on your card can help you find one.

Our guide to using insurance for therapy in Texas explains the programs, changing plans and who to call when you can't get care.

How Cima Find Care can help

Cima Find Care is a free directory of Texas therapists, counselors, LCDCs (licensed chemical dependency counselors), recovery coaches, psychiatric prescribers and IOP/PHP programs. We check each provider's Texas license or certification before they're listed.

  • Find your fit: answer five quick questions. Under "How will you pay," pick I'll pay myself or Texas Medicaid. Under "What matters to you," pick Sliding scale, and Speaks Spanish if you'd like.
  • Search providers you can pay yourself: "I'll pay myself" under Insurance shows providers who list a self-pay price or a sliding scale. Or choose Texas Medicaid or your plan.
  • See providers by video, anywhere in Texas. From El Paso, video can widen your choices a lot.
  • New to therapy? Read how to choose a therapist.

Our listings are growing. We add Texas providers as each license is checked, so you may only see a few in El Paso for now. Meanwhile, the places above can help. See our guides for San Antonio and Austin.

Questions people ask

Where can I find a sliding-scale therapist in El Paso?

Centro San Vicente, La Fe, El Paso Child Guidance Center and Family Service of El Paso all set fees by income. On Cima Find Care, choose "I'll pay myself" to see providers who list a self-pay price or a sliding scale.

I don't have insurance. Where should I start?

For serious symptoms, such as deep depression or hearing voices, call Emergence Health Network at 915-242-0555, or 915-779-1800 if it can't wait. For stress, anxiety, grief or family problems, try a community health center or nonprofit counseling center.

How do I get into free or low-cost rehab in El Paso?

Call the El Paso OSAR at 915-242-0555 on a weekday. They'll screen you and help you get into a state-funded program. SAMHSA's helpline, 1-800-662-4357, can help too.

Can I get help in Spanish?

Yes. 988 has Spanish-speaking counselors: press 2, or text AYUDA to 988. SAMHSA's helpline answers in Spanish, and El Paso Child Guidance Center says se habla español. At any clinic, ask for a Spanish-speaking counselor.

Do I have to live in El Paso County?

For Emergence Health Network's ongoing services, yes. Crisis help is for anyone, and OSAR serves anyone living in Texas.

Sources

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