What can I do if my child or teen has a mental health crisis?

Please note that NAMI does not operate a crisis hotline. If you or your loved one are in immediate danger, please call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Hotline at 988 or chat at 988Lifeline.org. NAMI volunteers are not medical or mental health professionals, and we cannot offer medical or mental health advice. The material outlined below is informational and we hope that it provides guidance that results in help.

Seeing your child or teen experiencing a mental health-related crisis can be distressing. Being prepared for a crisis by learning about resources and support services allows you to act fast and make good decisions. Remember to trust your instincts. Even in this complicated situation, the certainties are that you care about your child or teen, and you will do whatever is needed to help them.

You may find the information contained in the section of NAMI’s website on  Getting Treatment During a Crisis to be a helpful place to start. Below you will find information about youth mental health crises and strategies for getting help, steps to take if your child or teen is in danger, and additional resources to help you learn about supporting them in a crisis and plan ahead for any future crises that may come up.

You may not be sure what makes something a crisis versus a “bad day”. A mental health crisis is when your child or teen is at risk of harming themselves or others, or if their emotions and behavior seem extreme and out of control. Warning signs of mental health crisis may include:

Expressing suicidal thoughts, either through direct statements like “I want to die” or more vague statements such as “I don’t want to be here anymore” 
Making threats to harm others or themselves 
Engaging in self-injurious behavior, such as cutting or burning 
Expressing severe agitation and aggression, including physical aggression, destruction of property, hostility, etc. 
Having firmly held beliefs that aren’t rooted in realty (delusions)
Seeing or hearing things that other people don’t see or hear (hallucinations)
Isolating themselves from friends and family

Once you suspect that your child or teen is in crisis, you will have some decisions to make. How you proceed depends on whether they are in immediate danger and the resources available in your community. Here are a few things you can do to support your child in the moment and try to prevent the crisis from escalating:

Stay calm. Respond calmly and gently; avoid arguing with or confronting your child or teen about their beliefs or behaviors.   
Be an ally. Your child or teen’s thoughts and experiences feel distressing to them. Help them manage their anxiety and confusion by offering empathy for their feelings. For example: “I’m glad you could talk to me about this.” 
Safely lock away firearms, medications, and other items that your loved one may use to harm themselves or someone else.

Practical Tips for Getting Help in Mental Health Crisis

Use the following resources to get help if your child or teen is experiencing a mental health crisis:

Call or text the 24/7 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat here at 988Lifeline.org to speak to a trained mental health crisis worker. If a local mental health crisis team is available in your community, a mobile crisis team may be able to do an onsite evaluation and provide information about local crisis services.
- To reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for Veterans, select "1"
- To reach Nacional de Prevención del Suicidio (Spanish) select "2"
- Lifeline Options for Deaf + Hard of Hearing for TTY Users: use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988. You may also text 988, or chat function is available here at 988Lifeline.org.
If you can safely transport your child or teen, another option is to visit your local emergency department for an emergency psychiatric evaluation. Be specific with emergency room staff about the crisis your child/teen is experiencing and what kind of help you think they may need.
Your community may also have walk-in emergency psychiatric services or psychiatric urgent care facilities. These are often associated with the community behavioral health services in your county. A clinician will assess the risk and help secure appropriate services. This may include medication, detoxification, or even hospitalization.
Other crisis resources include:
- The Crisis Text Line provides a free, confidential texting service that is available 24/7 in the United States. They can be reached by texting HOME to 741741. 
- LGBTQ Youth & Young Adults: 
  - The Trevor Lifeline provides 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth & young adults ages 13–24 and can be reached at (866)-488-7386 or text “START” to 678-678. 
  - Boys Town National Hotline also operates a 24-hour American Association of Suicidology accredited crisis line for teens and families at (800) 448-3000

Immediate Danger - Getting Help in an Emergency

If the above options are not available in your community, or if your child or another person is in immediate physical danger, call 911. Be specific that you are calling about a mental health emergency. 911 will produce the fastest response, but it will be a police response.

Your local police department may have law enforcement officers that are specially trained in crisis intervention ("CIT" officers); if possible, explain that your child is experiencing a psychiatric crisis and request that CIT officers respond to your call. Other officers may not have crisis intervention or de-escalation training, so it’s important to specifically describe the behavior you are seeing from your child that illustrates the need for urgent psychiatric support. Example:

DON’T say – “My daughter is a danger to herself.”
DO say – “My daughter has not slept in 3 days, and she is hearing voices telling her to kill herself.”

Meet emergency responders outside the home. Brief them on the situation before they interact with your child. Make it clear that you are seeking psychiatric hospitalization for your child, NOT arrest.

More Information on Supporting Your Loved One in a Mental Health Crisis

The Treatment Advocacy Center's "Get Help" section of its website also has helpful information on how to respond in a crisis. NAMI’s Risk of Suicide page provides more information on how to help when someone you love is having suicidal thoughts. Also, see the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for helpful guidance on how to help When Someone is at Risk.

You can visit the Friends and Family section of Speaking of Suicide.com for extensive information on resources and how to talk with and help someone who is having suicidal thoughts.

Planning Ahead for a Crisis

You can use NAMI’s Navigating a Mental Health Crisis resource guide to navigate the crisis and make a plan for any crises that come up in the future.

Hours of operation Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. EST

Call: 800-950-NAMI (6264)

Text: 62640

Webchat: www.nami.org/help

Email: helpline@nami.org