Free Mental Health Support in Rome: Public Clinics, INPS Bonus, and Crisis Lines

In a Nutshell

Lazio has a fully free public mental health system, accessible through the CSM (Centro di Salute Mentale — community mental health centres) run by your local ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale — your local public-health authority). You don't need to be in acute crisis to use it: CSMs welcome anyone struggling with anxiety, depression, panic attacks, mood disorders, trauma, or addiction. Children and teenagers have their own dedicated service called TSMREE. If you'd prefer a private therapist, the INPS Psychology Bonus reimburses up to €1,500 per year based on your income level.

At a Glance

Cost	CSM and TSMREE: free. Consultori (family clinics): free. Psychology Bonus (private): reimbursement up to €1,500/year, income-tested.
Timeline	First CSM appointment: 1–3 weeks. Urgent cases: 24–72 hours. Psychology Bonus: annual INPS ranking.
Where in Rome	One CSM per district across ASL Roma 1–3 (and beyond). Consultori throughout the city.
Documents you need	Tessera Sanitaria (Italian health-insurance card) — or STP/ENI card if undocumented — plus photo ID. Psychology Bonus: SPID (Italy's digital identity for accessing online public services) or CIE (Italian electronic ID card) + ISEE (income-and-wealth indicator used to qualify for means-tested benefits) under €50,000.

How to Access a CSM (Adults)

The CSM is the main entry point for anyone over 18. You don't need a prior diagnosis and you don't need a GP referral (though a referral helps, it's not mandatory for first contact).

Here's what to do:

1. Find the CSM for your residential district by checking your ASL's website or salutelazio.it.
2. Call or walk in during reception hours.
3. You'll be given a first intake appointment within 1–3 weeks (within 24–72 hours for urgent situations).
4. A multidisciplinary team — psychiatrist, psychologist, and social worker — assesses your situation and draws up a care plan.
5. From that point on, all treatment — therapy sessions, medication if needed, rehabilitation groups — is free and ongoing.

Key CSMs in Rome by health authority:

ASL Roma 1 (Historic centre, Trastevere, Aurelio, Cassia):

CSM	Address	Phone
District 1 – Borgo	Borgo Santo Spirito 3	06 68352665
District 2 – Trionfale	Via di Boccea 271	06 68354700
District 13 – Aurelio	Via Cardinale Ginnasi 5	06 68352870
Historic Centre	Via Plinio 31	06 68352780

ASL Roma 2 (Tuscolano, Cinecittà, Centocelle, Tiburtino):

CSM	Address	Phone
District 4 – Tiburtino	Via Lampedusa 9	06 51008520
District 6 – Tuscolano	Via Monza 2	06 51008850
District 8 – Cinecittà	Via di Tor Bella Monaca 1	06 51008900
District 9 – EUR	Viale dell'Umanesimo 308	06 51008780

ASL Roma 3 (Ostia, Acilia, Portuense):

CSM	Address	Phone
District 10 – Ostia	Via Casal Bernocchi 73	06 56487300
District 11 – Portuense	Via dei Lugari 2	06 56484530
District 12 – Marconi	Lungotevere Dante 6	06 58231

For ASL Roma 4, 5, and 6, go to salutelazio.it > Strutture Sanitarie > DSM.

Children and Teenagers: TSMREE and UONPI

For anyone under 18 (or parents seeking help for a child), the dedicated service is called TSMREE (Tutela Salute Mentale Riabilitazione Età Evolutiva — child and adolescent mental health and rehabilitation). It covers neuropsychiatric disorders, autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, and anxiety and depression in children and teens.

You can contact TSMREE directly as a parent, or with a referral from your child's paediatrician. Assessment is multidisciplinary: a child neuropsychiatrist, psychologist, speech therapist, and psychomotor therapist are all involved. TSMREE also issues school certifications for learning differences (DSA), ADHD, and autism.

Service	Address	Phone
TSMREE ASL Roma 1	Via Sabotino 4	06 68352910
TSMREE ASL Roma 2	Via Tor de' Schiavi 218	06 51008500
TSMREE ASL Roma 3	Via Casal Bernocchi 73	06 56487900
UONPI Bambino Gesù	Piazza Sant'Onofrio 4	06 68591
UONPI Policlinico Umberto I	Viale Università 30	06 49971

The service is always free for minors, including undocumented foreign children.

The INPS Psychology Bonus

If you'd prefer a private therapist — or if public waiting times don't work for your situation — INPS (Italy's social-security agency — pensions, unemployment, family benefits) runs an annual Psychology Bonus: a reimbursement of up to €50 per session, with a yearly cap that depends on your ISEE:

• ISEE under €15,000: up to €1,500
• ISEE between €15,000 and €30,000: up to €1,000
• ISEE between €30,000 and €50,000: up to €500

How it works: when the application window opens (dates are published on inps.it), apply online using SPID or CIE. If you're ranked successfully you receive a unique code valid for 270 days, which you use with any private psychologist registered with the CNOP (Italy's national psychology board). Foreign nationals with a valid residence permit and registered address in Italy are also eligible.

Apply only at: INPS — Bonus Psicologo.

Emergencies and Useful Numbers

For an acute psychiatric crisis, go to the Pronto Soccorso (A&E / emergency room) at any hospital — all of them have 24-hour psychiatric consultation. Hospitals in Rome with a dedicated psychiatric emergency unit (SPDC) include:

• Policlinico Umberto I — Viale del Policlinico 155 — 06 4997
• San Camillo-Forlanini — Circonvallazione Gianicolense 87 — 06 58701
• Sant'Andrea — Via di Grottarossa 1035 — 06 33775500
• Policlinico Tor Vergata — Viale Oxford 81 — 06 20901

Free telephone helplines:

• Telefono Amico Italia: 02 2327 2327 (Mon–Sun 10:00–24:00)
• Telefono Verde Salute Mentale ISS (Mental Health Green Line): 800 71 38 38 (Mon–Fri, listening and guidance)
• Lazio Care (regional health guidance): 800 118 800
• Telefono Azzurro (children): 19696 (24/7)
• Anti-violence hotline: 1522 (24/7, 20 languages, free)

Mistakes to Avoid

1. Assuming the public system doesn't exist. Lazio has a CSM in every district. If you didn't know about it, that's a publicity failure — not a sign the service isn't there. Search for the one covering your municipio.
2. Using unverified websites or apps to find a therapist. Before choosing a private psychologist, check they're registered at ordinepsicologilazio.it. The Psychology Bonus must be applied for only at inps.it — no agency can do it on your behalf.
3. Confusing psychologists and psychiatrists. Only a psychiatrist can prescribe medication. At CSMs they usually work as a team. If you need a medication assessment, the CSM is exactly the right place.

Special Cases

You're a foreigner and don't speak Italian. Many CSMs in ASL Roma 1, 2, and 3 offer cultural mediation by appointment. SAMIFO (Centro per la salute dei migranti forzati — mental health centre for forced migrants, part of ASL Roma 1) at Via Luzzatti 8 — 06 77305432 — provides specialist psychological support for asylum seekers, refugees, and survivors of torture.

You have an eating disorder. The Centro DCA ASL Roma 1 (Palazzo Baleani, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 244 — 06 68803043) runs a dedicated programme. There is also a Day Hospital for eating disorders at Policlinico Umberto I.

You're a university student. Sapienza (06 49912851), Tor Vergata (06 7259 7780), and Roma Tre (06 5733 2740) all offer free psychological counselling to enrolled students.

You're undocumented. Mental health services cannot turn you away. With an STP card (the temporary permit issued to undocumented migrants for essential healthcare) you are entitled to access essential psychological care. Consultori familiari (family health clinics) typically accept STP cardholders too.

Official Sources

• Ministry of Health — Mental Health
• Salute Lazio — DSM Services
• ASL Roma 1 — Mental Health Department
• ASL Roma 2
• ASL Roma 3
• INPS — Psychology Bonus
• Ordine degli Psicologi del Lazio
• Telefono Amico Italia

Legal references: Legge 180/1978 (Basaglia), Legge 833/1978 (SSN), DPR 10/11/1999 (POTSM), DGR Lazio 590/2017, Legge 197/2022 art. 1 c.538 (Psychology Bonus), D.Lgs. 286/1998 art. 35.