Tennessee Grief, Victim, and Family Support Resources
A free directory of support for Tennessee families after a death, crime, or crisis: immediate crisis lines, victim services, grief support organizations, and the state agencies that handle death certificates, victim compensation, and investigations. Share it with anyone who needs it.
We built this page for one reason: families in crisis should not have to search twenty websites to find help. Everything below is free to use and share, and none of it requires being our customer. If a link is out of date, tell us and we will fix it the same day.
If You Need Help Right Now
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, or visit https://988lifeline.org. Free, confidential, 24/7.
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 or https://www.thehotline.org. 24/7, confidential.
- Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988 then press 1, or visit https://www.veteranscrisisline.net.
- Emergencies: call 911.
Victim Services and Compensation
- Tennessee Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund, Tennessee Department of Treasury: https://treasury.tn.gov . Helps victims of violent crime with medical, funeral, and crime scene cleaning expenses. Our plain-English guide walks through the application.
- District Attorney victim witness coordinators: every Tennessee judicial district has coordinators who help victims and families navigate the justice system free of charge. Contact your county district attorney’s office.
- Tennessee Bureau of Investigation: https://www.tn.gov for case and victim services information on state-level investigations.
- Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD): https://www.madd.org, victim support after impaired driving crashes, including local Tennessee advocates.
Grief Support
- The Compassionate Friends: https://www.compassionatefriends.org, support after the death of a child, with chapters across Tennessee.
- GriefShare: https://www.griefshare.org, grief support groups meeting in churches statewide; search by zip code.
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, loss survivor programs: https://afsp.org, including Survivor Outreach and local support group listings.
- Local hospice bereavement programs: most Tennessee hospice organizations offer free grief counseling to the community, not just hospice families. Call the hospice nearest you and ask about bereavement services.
Mental Health Support
- NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): https://www.nami.org, education and support groups, with Tennessee affiliates.
- Tennessee Statewide Crisis Line: available 24/7 through the state’s behavioral health system.
- Psychology Today therapist finder: https://www.psychologytoday.com, searchable by Tennessee city, insurance, and specialty including trauma and grief.
Practical and Legal Matters
- Death certificates: Tennessee Department of Health, Office of Vital Records: https://www.tn.gov/health.
- Reporting a death to Social Security: https://www.ssa.gov.
- Tennessee courts self-help for probate and estates: https://www.tncourts.gov
- Legal Aid: Tennessee’s legal aid organizations provide free civil legal help to eligible families.
After the Scene: Cleanup and Property
When a death or crime affects the home itself, professional biohazard cleanup protects the family’s health and the property’s future. Our guides explain what to do after a death in Tennessee, whether insurance covers cleanup, and who is responsible. If your family needs the work done, Huuso Bio Tennessee answers 24/7. That is the only sales line on this page, and we meant everything above it either way.