988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988, 24/7, free and confidential — for anyone in emotional crisis or thinking of self-harm.
📞 Call or text 988
Immediate Crisis & Emotional Support
Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741 to reach a trained crisis counselor by text, any time of day or night.
💬 Text HOME to 741741
211
Dial 211 for a local directory of health and human-service resources — including grief support, financial help, and counseling.
📞 Dial 211
Grief Support Organizations
The Compassionate Friends
Support for families after the death of a child, with local chapters nationwide.
GriefShare
Faith-based grief support groups meeting across the country.
The Dougy Center
Resources and a national model for grieving children, teens, and families.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Survivors of Suicide Loss — support and community after a death by suicide.
Soaring Spirits International
A welcoming community for widowed people rebuilding life after loss.
National Alliance for Grieving Children
Locate grief support for children and teens in your area.
Local Hospices
Most hospices offer free bereavement support to the whole community — not only to their own patients. An excellent first call, whether or not your loved one was in their care.
Government & Benefits
Social Security Administration
Survivors benefits and the one-time lump-sum death payment. The funeral home usually reports the death — confirm that it will.
📞 1-800-772-1213
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Burial and survivor benefits for eligible veterans and their families.
📞 1-800-827-1000
Internal Revenue Service
Final returns and estate tax — see the IRS "Deceased Person" pages for what to file and how.
USA.gov — "What to Do When Someone Dies"
A plain-language federal checklist of the agencies you may need to notify.
Your State Vital Records Office
Order certified death certificates. Find your state's office through the CDC's "Where to Write for Vital Records" directory.
Financial, Legal & Consumer Protection
The Three Credit Bureaus
Place a "deceased" flag to help prevent identity theft — notifying one bureau notifies all three.
Equifax · Experian · TransUnion
Federal Trade Commission
Report fraud and scams, and recover from identity theft with a step-by-step plan.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Clear guidance on the debts of a deceased person and how to handle debt collectors.
National Association of Personal Financial Advisors
Find a fee-only fiduciary financial advisor — one paid only by you, not by commissions.
Your State Bar Association
Most state bar associations run a lawyer-referral service to help you find a probate or estate-planning attorney near you. Search "[your state] bar association lawyer referral," or start with the national directory below.
You do not have to see the whole path. You only have to take the next step on it.
The full guidance behind every resource here — what to do, when, and why — lives in the book.
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