Is the San Francisco Suicide Prevention Crisis Line Free and Confidential?

Yes. San Francisco Suicide Prevention (SFSP), part of the Felton Institute, describes its crisis hotlines and textlines as free, confidential, and available 24/7, 365 days a year. The textlines are explicitly labeled "FREE, 100% confidential" and are staffed by trained volunteers. If you are in crisis or want emotional support, you can call (415) 781-0500 or text CRISIS, YOUTH, or HIV to (415) 200-2920 at any hour.

What "free and confidential" covers

• Cost: The site describes the crisis lines and textlines as free. No payment or insurance information is requested on the page.
• Confidentiality: The hotlines are described as confidential, and the textlines as "100% confidential."
• Availability: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year — including holidays.
• Who answers: Trained volunteers, supported by an organization that has provided emotional support in San Francisco since 1962 and answers about 55,000 calls annually.

Ways to reach SFSP

What to expect when you reach out

The page does not describe a script or intake process, but it does state the purpose: emotional support from trained volunteers. A reasonable expectation, based on how crisis lines are generally run and on SFSP's description, is that you can talk or text about what you are facing without being asked to pay or identify yourself publicly. If a specific concern matters to you — for example, whether any identifying details are recorded — ask the volunteer directly at the start of the contact; the page itself does not spell out record-keeping practices.

Specialized lines for specific concerns

SFSP separates some concerns onto dedicated lines rather than routing everything through the main crisis number:

• HIV: two Nightline numbers, one local and one toll-free, plus the HIV text keyword.
• Drug information: a dedicated Drug Info Line.
• Relapse: a Relapse Line for people worried about returning to substance use.
• Youth: a YOUTH text keyword, alongside in-school prevention workshops run by a Youth Outreach Coordinator.

If your concern fits one of these, using the matching line or keyword may connect you with someone focused on that area.

Beyond the phone: other SFSP programs

• Grief Support Group: peer-based, in-person support specifically for people processing a loss by suicide.
• Youth Risk Reduction: in-school workshops providing prevention tools to San Francisco students.
• Community Outreach: onsite visits that raise awareness about suicide and train people in crisis intervention and de-escalation.

If you are unsure whether to call

The page's core message is that help is always available — "We are here for you 24/7, 365 days a year." You do not need to be in immediate danger to use the line; the textlines are described as emotional support, which suggests they are appropriate for distress that has not reached an emergency. If you are in immediate danger, calling 988 or 911 is the standard guidance, and SFSP lists 988 among its contact options.

For questions about the organization itself, the site offers an About Us page, an FAQ page, and a Resources section that includes information about 988.