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Social psychiatric service

Gesundheitsamt · Psychiatric assistance

Free of chargeWithout a referralConfidential

This service is the most accessible provision in the entire Gesundheitsamt, and almost everything that keeps people from using it rests on a misunderstanding. So the most important point first: you need no referral, you need no Krankenkasse, no costs arise, and nothing is billed — so there is also no entry at any fund. You can come for yourself or as a relative, and in many local authorities a home visit is also possible if the journey to the office cannot be managed.

The second concern is more serious and deserves a precise answer: the Social Psychiatric Service cannot have anyone committed. Involuntary committal is a deprivation of liberty, and for this Art. 104 Abs. 2 of the Basic Law (Grundgesetz, GG) applies: “Only a judge may rule on the permissibility and continuation of any deprivation of liberty.” If a deprivation of liberty exceptionally does not rest on judicial order, a judicial decision must be obtained without delay. An advisory conversation therefore does not lead into a clinic; it leads into a conversation.

The requirements for a committal are set out in the mental health acts of the federal states (PsychKG) and are narrow: there must be a substantial present danger to the affected person themselves or to others that cannot otherwise be averted. This threshold is practically never reached in advice that someone seeks voluntarily — and the very fact that it exists is the reason these provisions exist: they limit the intervention, they do not enable it.

What the service actually does is unspectacular and effective: listen, classify, find the right body and accompany the way there. It knows the waiting times and admission situations of the region — for psychotherapy places, clinics, day clinics, addiction counselling, supported housing, self-help groups — and that is the real advantage over researching on the internet. In acute danger to life or health, however, the emergency number 112 continues to apply: the Social Psychiatric Service is an advice centre with consultation hours, not an emergency service.

Last updated28 August 2026
Legal basisPsychKG of the federal states
VerificationChecked against the IfSG, the International Health Regulations (IGV), the Basic Law and state law
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information website: we are not the Gesundheitsamt, not an authority and not a paid advice service – we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in plain language; binding information always comes from the competent body. No legal advice and not an official authority. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document official procedures and check the information against the official source – this is information, not legal or tax advice.
CostsNoneNo billing, no fund
AccessWithout a referralAlso for relatives
CommittalOnly a judgeArt. 104 Abs. 2 GG
In an emergency112No emergency service
Required documents

What you need

Nothing that could hold you back

For an initial conversation, you need neither a referral nor an insurance card nor previous findings. This line is here because the absence of documents is the most common reason people put off making the call.

Existing medical findings, if available

Medical letters, discharge reports, medication plan. They help with classification and save repetition — but they are not a prerequisite for the first contact.

A short note on the situation

Since when, what has changed, what has already been tried. In conversation, much that seemed important beforehand falls by the wayside; a few bullet points help more than they cost effort.

When contacting as a relative: your own situation

The service also advises relatives — on their own burden and on the options, without bypassing the affected person. Both are a legitimate reason for a conversation.

The consultation hours of your office

It is an advice centre with opening hours. For nights and weekends, the medical on-call service on 116 117 applies, and in acute danger, the emergency number 112.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Call or come by

    Without a referral, without an insurance card, without a reason you would need to justify. Many offices have open consultation hours; where this is not the case, an appointment is given.

  2. 2

    Describe the situation

    The conversation serves classification, not diagnosis. It is confidential; medical and social-work duties of confidentiality apply here as everywhere.

  3. 3

    Determine the right body together

    Psychotherapy, psychiatric outpatient clinic, day clinic, addiction counselling, supported housing, self-help. The service knows the admission situation of the region and can realistically assess what can be reached and how quickly.

  4. 4

    Accept the support where it is offered

    Many services help with applications, accompany people to appointments or keep in contact over a transitional period. This is precisely where paths otherwise break off.

  5. 5

    Keep the right number ready for an emergency

    In acute danger to life or health, the emergency number 112; outside consultation hours, the medical on-call service on 116 117. The Social Psychiatric Service replaces neither.

Fee information

Costs and payment

Costs, access and limitsA mandatory task of the local authority
AdviceFree of charge
ReferralNot required
KrankenkasseNo billing
For relativesExpressly possible
Home visitPossible in many places
CommittalOnly by a court

Because nothing is billed, no record arises at any Krankenkasse either. For many, that is the real reason to prefer this route over a private one.

Good to know

Important notes

The most common inhibition rests on a false assumption: whoever calls here is not committed. A decision on involuntary committal is taken, under Art. 104 Abs. 2 GG, solely by a judge, and the PsychKG of the federal states require for this a substantial present danger that cannot otherwise be averted. This threshold is practically never reached in a voluntarily sought advisory conversation.

The service expressly also advises relatives. That is more than a courtesy: relatives are often the first to notice a change, and at the same time those who remain alone with it for the longest. A conversation about one's own burden is here its own, legitimate reason.

It is an advice centre with consultation hours, not an emergency service. In acute danger to life or health, the emergency number 112 applies, outside consultation hours the medical on-call service on 116 117.

The tasks and their design are set out in the state laws on assistance for the mentally ill — usually called PsychKG or PsychKHG. Scope, opening hours and offerings therefore differ between local authorities; what your office specifically provides is something only your office can tell you.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Not calling for fear of committal. A decision on committal is taken solely by a court, and only in the case of substantial present danger.

Waiting for a referral. None is needed — nor an insurance card.

Hesitating as a relative. Advice for relatives is an express part of the mandate.

Waiting for consultation hours in an acute emergency. In danger to life or health, the emergency number 112 applies.

Applying offerings from another city. The design follows state and local law and differs considerably.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Can the Social Psychiatric Service have me committed?

No. Involuntary committal is a deprivation of liberty, and under Art. 104 Abs. 2 of the Basic Law, only a judge decides on its permissibility and continuation; if it exceptionally does not rest on judicial order, the judicial decision must be obtained without delay. The PsychKG of the federal states additionally require a substantial present danger that cannot otherwise be averted — a threshold practically never reached in a voluntarily sought conversation.

Do I need a referral or a Krankenkasse?

Neither. Access is free, the advice is free of charge, and nothing is billed to a Krankenkasse — so no record arises there either. For many, that is exactly the reason to choose this route.

Can relatives also get advice?

Yes, and that is an express part of the mandate. You can be advised both on the affected person's situation and on your own burden. The service can also assess which steps are possible without bypassing the affected person.

How much does the advice cost?

Nothing. It is a service of the public health service that is not invoiced and not billed. No costs arise for home visits either, where they are offered.

What applies outside consultation hours?

The Social Psychiatric Service is an advice centre with opening hours and not an emergency service. In acute danger to life or health, the emergency number 112 applies; for urgent but not life-threatening situations outside consultation hours, the medical on-call service on 116 117.

Is the conversation confidential?

Yes. Medical and social-work duties of confidentiality apply. Disclosure to third parties generally requires your consent; exceptions are considered only in narrowly limited danger situations regulated in state law. You may ask during the conversation how your information is handled.

Related official procedures

Official medical examination (amtsärztliche Untersuchung)
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Mandatory under state law, before school enrolment
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Heilpraktikererlaubnis (naturopath licence)
Hazard prevention, not a professional examination
From the age of 25

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