Mental health support has two timelines: right now in crisis, and over the coming months in healing. Shanti Orange County and 988 serve different moments on that timeline.
Call or Text 988 When
Use the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline if you or someone near you:
- Has thoughts of suicide or self-harm you might act on
- Is in severe panic or emotional overwhelm tonight
- Needs someone to talk to at 2 am before you can function tomorrow
Dial 988 · Text 988 · Chat via 988lifeline.org (availability may vary).
Trained counselors answer 24/7. The service is free and confidential at the national level.
Contact Shanti When
Shanti fits ongoing care during Mon–Fri, 9 am – 5 pm PT:
- Weekly mental health counseling (insurance / CalOptima / low-cost)
- HIV case management and benefits help
- Support groups (Círculo Latino monthly, HIV therapy group by intake)
- Psychological testing and evaluation referrals
Call (949) 452-0888 or email [email protected].
Voicemail after hours? Use 988 for urgent safety. Do not wait for a callback if you are at risk.
Using Both Resources
A common healthy path:
- 988 tonight: stabilize and make a short safety plan
- Shanti next business day: enroll in counseling or groups
- Therapist ongoing: process what triggered the crisis
Tell your Shanti therapist you used 988. It helps them understand your safety needs.
For Loved Ones
If someone refuses help but is at risk, 988 counselors can coach you. If there is immediate physical danger, call 911.
Read Supporting a loved one with HIV.
HIV-Specific Distress
Diagnosis shock, stigma, and medication fatigue can spike suicidal thoughts. You deserve nonjudgmental listeners on 988 and HIV-aware therapists at Shanti afterward.
Save These Numbers
| Resource | When | Contact | |----------|------|---------| | 988 | Crisis now, 24/7 | 988 call/text | | Shanti OC | Ongoing care weekdays | 949-452-0888 | | 911 | Physical emergency | 911 |
After the Storm
Healing is not linear. First visit when you are ready. Shanti has held space for Orange County since 1987, one conversation at a time.
The Division of Labor, Stated Plainly
988 covers the hours and the emergencies. Free, confidential, staffed 24 hours a day, every day.
Shanti Orange County covers the ongoing work. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm PT. We are a nonprofit counseling and HIV services organization, not a crisis center and not an emergency service.
That is not a limitation to work around; it is how the two are supposed to fit. 988 stabilizes the night. Shanti takes the months after.
What Happens When You Call Shanti Instead
If you call during business hours in acute distress, you will reach a person, and intake will help. But understand what the process actually is: intake asks about your situation, enrollment paperwork typically arrives through Simple Practice within about a business day, and once completed we usually schedule within another day or two. Most callers are seen within one to two weeks, though timing can vary with demand.
One to two weeks is good access for ongoing counseling. It is not a crisis response. If tonight is the problem, 988 is the right number.
Making the Handoff Work
The useful move is to use both deliberately rather than picking one:
- Call or text 988 when you need someone now.
- Call Shanti at 949-452-0888 the next business day to start ongoing care.
- Tell intake what happened. It is relevant clinical context, not something to be embarrassed about.
What Ongoing Care Looks Like Here
Individual counseling at $65 per session with an unlicensed therapist or $100 with a licensed one, with many insurance plans, including CalOptima, accepted for eligible services. In person at 23461 South Pointe Dr., Suite 100, Laguna Hills, with free parking, or telehealth throughout California.
Also available: couples and family counseling, psychological testing and evaluation for ages 6 and up, HIV case management, a weekly clinician-led HIV therapy group, and Círculo Latino, a free Spanish-language circle on the first Tuesday of each month.
Staff work in English, Spanish, Farsi, and Hindi. All services are LGBTQ-affirming.
For Someone Else
If you are worried about another person, the same split applies. 988 handles the immediate danger. Shanti offers counseling to you as well, including couples and family sessions, because carrying this for someone is its own load.
The Two Numbers
- 988 — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Free, confidential, 24/7.
- 949-452-0888 — Shanti Orange County. Mon–Fri, 9 am – 5 pm PT.
Save both.
