Use Tennessee REDLINE at 800-889-9789 for addiction-treatment referrals. The department’s non-emergency helpline handles broader service navigation. For uninsured outpatient mental-health care, the Behavioral Health Safety Net has a separate application through participating providers, including locations in Davidson and Williamson counties. [1][2][3]
Choose the contact by the help you need
For addiction-treatment referrals, Tennessee identifies REDLINE at 800-889-9789, available by call or text. For broader non-emergency questions about mental-health and substance-use services, the department’s helpline is 800-560-5767, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m., excluding state holidays. A clinical crisis belongs with the urgent support routes, including 988, rather than an administrative service inquiry. [1][2]
Explain the person’s home area, the concern and whether you are calling for yourself or someone else. A referral identifies a next service; it is not a reserved placement or a payment decision. Ask whether the specialist will connect you or whether you should make the receiving call yourself. The state office’s mailing address is not the destination for a treatment assessment.
The Safety Net is an application route, not another referral number
For adult outpatient mental-health assistance, Tennessee’s Behavioral Health Safety Net directs people to find a participating provider, make an intake appointment and say they want to apply for BHSN. The state says the program serves eligible people across all 95 counties; a neighboring location or telehealth may be used where there is no physical provider site. [2]
Start with that named application rather than assuming a general call has enrolled you. The program covers a defined outpatient mental-health scope. A REDLINE addiction-treatment referral and a BHSN application can answer different needs for the same household, but one does not automatically authorize the other.
What the published adult eligibility categories mean for preparation
The state lists age 18 or older, Tennessee residence, a qualifying mental-health diagnosis, income at or below 138% of the federal poverty level, and citizenship or qualified immigration status among the criteria. Coverage requirements concern being uninsured, lacking mental-health benefits or having exhausted them; applicants must be determined ineligible for TennCare. Long-term inpatient or residential status is also addressed in the exclusions. The provider applies the full criteria to the person’s situation. [2]
No previous diagnosis does not end the inquiry: the state says the provider can help determine whether a qualifying diagnosis is present. Staff can also help with a TennCare application when needed. Bring the question to intake rather than trying to diagnose yourself or treating a partial checklist as approval.
Find a Davidson or Williamson intake contact
The state directory lists Centerstone locations in Davidson County with 1-877-HOPE-123 and Mental Health Cooperative with 615-743-1555. For Williamson County, it lists Volunteer Behavioral Health at 1915 Columbia Avenue, Franklin, with 1-877-567-6051. Use these as published starting points and identify the BHSN application when calling. [3]
Use the BHSN program name when calling. Get the intake location and the location of later appointments; they may differ. Bring that schedule into any work or transport planning.
Keep prescription affordability on a separate line
BHSN includes psychiatric medication management and pharmacy-assistance coordination, but the state says it does not cover prescriptions themselves. Providers can help investigate manufacturer assistance and other programs; CoverRx is a separate prescription program for qualifying adults ages 18–64. [2]
A practical follow-up record should therefore distinguish “outpatient intake arranged” from “pharmacy-assistance application pending.” If an appointment produces a prescription, ask which staff member handles affordability questions and how the next step will be communicated. This article does not recommend starting, stopping or changing medication; those decisions require the treating clinician.
Turn a referral into a confirmed next action
When you receive a provider name, ask whether the service will connect you or whether you should make the next call. Record the relevant location and the type of inquiry. At the receiving organization, establish the assessment process and verify any financial or scheduling details rather than relying on the referral alone.
A useful referral includes a way to return
When a recommended organization cannot help, ask whether you should return to REDLINE or another contact. Keep a short record of why the connection failed without trying to interpret a clinical decision yourself. For example, “The receiving office says it does not provide the requested assessment” tells the next caller more than “the referral did not work.” Ask the receiving team to explain any unfamiliar terminology.
Your planning record
Use this editorial worksheet to keep confirmed details separate from questions still awaiting an answer.
| Need | Published starting point | Decision still needed |
|---|---|---|
| Addiction-treatment referral | REDLINE: call or text 800-889-9789 | Receiving provider, assessment and payment |
| Non-emergency service navigation | 800-560-5767; weekdays 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m., excluding state holidays | Correct service or application route |
| Uninsured adult outpatient mental-health assistance | BHSN intake through a listed participating provider | Provider applies program eligibility criteria |
| Prescription affordability after BHSN enrollment | Ask the provider for pharmacy-assistance coordination | Separate program application and decision |
For the wider local picture, return to our Nashville & Brentwood care guide. For the shared preparation steps, read preparing for a first conversation about care.
Sources and scope
Based on the published sources below, with original planning tools and clearly labeled illustrative calculations. Hours, services and prices can change; the receiving organization determines current availability, eligibility and personal costs.
No named clinician has reviewed this guide. It provides general information about care and service navigation, not an individual treatment recommendation. Source checks are editorial checks, not clinical review.
- Tennessee: behavioral health contacts · Public-agency guidance · Checked .
- Tennessee: Behavioral Health Safety Net for adults · Public-agency guidance · Checked .
- Tennessee: Safety Net provider locations · Public-agency guidance · Checked .
Worksheets are planning aids, not clinical assessments. Our source and correction standards.