Free, confidential support for people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Call, text, or chat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Veterans can press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line.

Polk County’s primary behavioral health crisis response. Mobile crisis teams respond on-site. Also operates a crisis stabilization unit for adults and a children’s receiving facility. Walk-ins accepted at the Winter Haven campus.

Dial 2-1-1 to connect with a trained specialist who can help identify resources for housing, food, mental health, utility assistance, childcare, and more. Operated locally by United Way of Central Florida. Available in English and Spanish.

Text-based crisis support for anyone in distress. Connects you with a trained crisis counselor via text message.

Individual, group, and family counseling for adults and children. Psychiatric services and medication management. Sliding scale fees available based on income; no one is turned away for inability to pay.

Behavioral health and substance use treatment. Individual counseling, psychiatric services, and case management for adults and adolescents. CARF-accredited, on a sliding fee scale. Telehealth available.

National Alliance on Mental Illness local affiliate. Free education programs, peer- and family-led support groups, and mental health advocacy. Offers Family-to-Family and Peer-to-Peer courses. Serves Lakeland, Winter Haven, and Bartow.

The largest community-based behavioral health network in West Central Florida, serving Polk County. Inpatient, outpatient, and telehealth mental health and substance use services, including the Winter Haven Hospital Center for Psychiatry. Call the registration line to be matched to care.

Inpatient and outpatient psychiatric and addiction services, including the Harrell Family Center for Behavioral Wellness (a freestanding teaching hospital), emergency psychiatric assessment, and adult and adolescent programs.

Detox, residential treatment, outpatient counseling, and medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders. Serves adults. Sliding scale available.

Free peer-support meetings for anyone struggling with alcohol use, held daily across Polk County including Lakeland, Winter Haven, Auburndale, and Haines City. The intergroup keeps an up-to-date local meeting list and a 24-hour helpline.

Free peer-support meetings for people recovering from drug addiction, with weekly meetings throughout Polk County including Lake Alfred, Auburndale, Winter Haven, Lakeland, Bartow, and Haines City.

Free, confidential, 24/7 treatment referral and information service for substance use and mental health disorders. Available in English and Spanish.

Emergency shelter, 24-hour hotline, safety planning, courthouse and legal advocacy, support groups, and children’s programs for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. All services are free and confidential.

Confidential support, safety planning, and local resource referrals for anyone affected by domestic violence. Advocates available in 200+ languages.

Free, confidential crisis support for veterans, service members, and their families. Call 988, then press 1. Also available by text and chat.

Assists veterans and their dependents with VA benefits claims, pensions, healthcare enrollment, education benefits, and emergency assistance. County-funded, free to all veterans. Also staffs offices inside the Lakeland VA Clinic and at 200 Government Center Blvd in Lake Alfred.

Primary care, mental health counseling, PTSD treatment, and substance use services for enrolled veterans. This expanded outpatient clinic opened in 2024 and is part of the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital / VA Tampa system.

Transitional housing, employment support, and case management for homeless and at-risk veterans. SSVF (Supportive Services for Veteran Families) rapid rehousing assistance.

Emergency financial assistance, food-pantry services, disaster relief, and holiday assistance for residents of Winter Haven, Auburndale, Lake Alfred, Haines City, and surrounding communities.

Administers rental and housing assistance, down-payment and home-repair programs (SHIP), and referrals to the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program for low-income families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities.

Emergency shelter, transitional housing, life skills training, employment assistance, on-site medical and dental care, and meals for individuals experiencing homelessness. Faith-based, serves all.

The region’s largest food bank, coordinating free food-distribution events and partner pantries throughout Polk County. No ID or proof of income required at mobile distributions. Use the online finder for the nearest distribution.

Food-distribution ministries operating two to three days a week at local Catholic parishes in Polk County, providing non-perishable items, dairy, proteins, meats, and baked goods. Serves all, regardless of faith.

Several churches operate weekly food distributions for families in need in the Lake Alfred and Auburndale area. Because schedules change seasonally, dial 2-1-1 for the current locations, days, and eligibility.

Child welfare investigations, foster care, adoption services, food assistance (SNAP), Medicaid, and cash assistance (TANF). Abuse hotline available 24/7.

School readiness and Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) programs for children birth to age 5, plus child-care financial assistance and free child-care resource and referral for eligible working families.

One-to-one youth mentoring for children ages 5–13, with community-based and school-based options. Free for enrolled families.

Supports individuals with developmental disabilities (intellectual disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, Prader-Willi syndrome, Down syndrome). Medicaid waiver services, supported living, and employment support. Polk is served by APD’s Central Region Lakeland office.

Job placement, career counseling, training, and assistive technology for individuals with physical or mental disabilities whose goal is employment. Free to eligible individuals.

The Area Agency on Aging and Aging & Disability Resource Center for Polk County. The Elder Helpline connects older adults and caregivers to in-home care, long-term-care options, SHINE Medicare counseling, elder-abuse prevention, and wellness programs.

Delivers one hot, well-balanced meal each weekday to homebound seniors, providing both nutrition and a daily safety check. A donation or sliding-scale fee applies. Apply online or through the Elder Helpline.

A nonprofit law firm providing free civil legal advice and representation for low-income individuals and farmworkers. Covers housing and eviction defense, family law, elder law, public benefits, employment, consumer issues, and civil rights. Se habla español.

For civil legal matters outside Florida Rural Legal Services’ capacity, this statewide portal helps low-income Floridians find their local legal-aid provider and self-help resources. Dial 2-1-1 for a screened referral.

Counseling, emergency financial assistance (rent and utilities), homeless prevention and rapid rehousing, immigration legal services, and disaster recovery. Serves all regardless of faith; sliding scale fees for counseling.

Christ-centered 12-step recovery program for all types of hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Meetings held weekly at multiple church locations throughout Polk County.

Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) offering primary care, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services on a sliding scale based on income. Accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and uninsured patients. Lake Alfred residents are served by the nearby Winter Haven and Dundee locations.

Full-service FQHC with primary care, pediatrics, dental, behavioral health, women’s health, and pharmacy. Same-day appointments often available.

Immunizations, STD testing and treatment, family planning, WIC nutrition program, tuberculosis screening, environmental health, and vital records (birth and death certificates), with offices across Polk County.

Faith-based grief recovery support group. 13-week program offered at multiple church locations throughout Polk County. Open to all who are grieving the death of a family member or friend.

13-week support group program for people recovering from separation or divorce. Video-based curriculum with small group discussion. Open to all.

Free peer support for families and friends of people with alcohol problems. Weekly meetings at various Polk County locations.