Who to Call: Crisis and Support Lines Every Veteran Should Save Right Now
Take sixty seconds and put these in your phone now. Not because anything is wrong today, but because the moment you need them is the worst moment to go looking.
If you are in crisis right now
Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1. Free, confidential, 24 hours a day, every day. You do not need to be enrolled in VA health care. You do not need to be in immediate danger to call; if something is heavy, that is reason enough.
- Text: 838255
- Chat: VeteransCrisisLine.net
- Deaf or hard of hearing: dial 988 through your preferred relay service, or use the chat above
Anyone, veteran or not: dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If there is immediate danger to life, call 911.
First responders
Firefighters, EMS, law enforcement and dispatchers carry a different weight, and there are lines built for you. The 988 Lifeline serves everyone. Many departments also have peer-support teams and employee assistance programs; ask a trusted supervisor or your union representative what your agency offers, and put that number in your phone next to 988.
Everyday needs in Florida
- Florida 211: dial 211 for food, housing, utility assistance, transportation and local services, 24 hours a day.
- Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs: FloridaVets.org. State benefits, claims assistance through accredited officers, and the network of county veteran service offices.
- Your county veteran service office: accredited officers who can prepare and file VA claims at no cost. In Lee County, that is Lee County Veteran Services. The Grateful Veteran does not prepare, file or represent VA claims; these offices do, and they do it well.
The full list
We maintain a longer Veteran Resources directory covering mental health and peer support, housing and food, benefits, health, giving back, local posts and halls, and medical cannabis education. Bookmark it.
For the people who love a veteran
The Veterans Crisis Line is for you too. If you are worried about someone, you can call 988 and press 1 to talk through what you are seeing and how to help. You do not have to figure it out alone any more than they do.
Sources & verification
- Veterans Crisis Line, 988 press 1, text 838255 (accessed August 27, 2026)
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (accessed August 27, 2026)
- Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs (accessed August 27, 2026)
- 211 (accessed August 27, 2026)
Published August 27, 2026. Last reviewed August 27, 2026. Next review due November 2026. Content risk level: high. Numbers checked against the operating organizations' own pages.
The Grateful Veteran is not a crisis service and does not provide medical or mental health care. The lines above are operated by their respective organizations. Please confirm numbers and hours with each provider.