What can I do if my loved one 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 the Lifeline at 800-273-8255. 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.
Practical tips for what to do and how to react in a crisis:
- Stay calm. Respond calmly and gently; avoid arguing with or confronting a loved one about their beliefs or behaviors.
- Be an ally. A loved one’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.”
What Is a Crisis?
- Expressing suicidal thoughts, either through explicit statements such as “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.
- Experiencing hallucinations or delusions
- Isolating themselves from friends and family
How To Take Action
Immediate Danger
- Lifeline Options for Deaf + Hard of Hearing for TTY Users:
- Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then (800)-273-8255
- Lifeline for Veterans:
- Call (800)-273-8255 or text 838255
- Nacional de Prevención del Suicidio:
- (888)-628-9454
- 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
If texting is more comfortable for you, NAMI maintains a partnership with Crisis Text Line, available 24/7 in the United States. You can reach the Crisis Text Line by texting NAMI to 741741 and a trained crisis worker will respond within minutes. The Crisis Text Line is a free, confidential service that is available 24/7 in the United States.
Other options to consider include:
- Mobile Crisis Unit (MCU) Also called Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team, this is a mental health emergency service offered by many (but not all) counties across the nation to provide on-scene evaluation, treatment and crisis intervention in the community. An MCU will work collaboratively with the individual to assess their needs and identify the least restrictive treatment options; MCUs are also authorized to facilitate involuntary hospitalization and treatment when necessary. For information about the availability of mobile crisis services in your area or when it’s appropriate to call, contact 211.
- Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). CIT officers are emergency-response police officers who are specially trained to de-escalate a mental health crisis. Should your loved one need emergency assistance during a mental health crisis call the non-emergency phone number for your local police department and ask if they have a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). Explain that your loved one is experiencing a psychiatric emergency and that you need assistance.
- Seek help at the nearest emergency room.
- If the above options are not available in your community, or if your loved one 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. The first available officers will respond and will likely not have de-escalation training. Meet emergency responders outside the home and brief them on the situation before they interact with your loved one.
Urgent Psychiatric Treatment
- Crisis Stabilization Units (CSUs): These are small, inpatient facilities of less than 16 beds for individuals experiencing a psychiatric crisis whose needs cannot be met safely in residential service settings. They offer structure, support and counseling support. Crisis Stabilization Units can be an alternative to hospitalization or a step-down setting upon leaving a hospital. CSUs try to stabilize the person and get them back into the community quickly. Conduct an internet search for “Emergency Mental Health Services [and the name of your county/State]”.
- Walk-in emergency psychiatric services: These are often associated with community/county mental health services. A clinician will assess the risk and help secure appropriate services. This may include medication, detoxification, or even hospitalization. SAMHSA Treatment Locator offers a treatment locator for finding low cost/sliding scale mental health care across the country; search on their website or by calling (800) 662-4357. to treatment facilities in the country, including assertive community treatment, community-based mental health care and residential treatment.