What can I say to mobile crisis workers or the police to get my loved one help in a crisis?

If your loved one is having a mental health crisis, you may contact a Mobile Crisis Unit (MCU)/Mobile Crisis Team (MCT) or law enforcement to get your loved one evaluated and connected with the best help.

If you have to contact the police because there are no mobile crisis services in your area or because the crisis involves a serious, life-threatening emergency, you can ask if there are crisis intervention team (CIT) officers or other officers trained to respond in a mental health crisis. Consider contacting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline if you’re not sure which crisis resources are available to you and your loved one.

It can be helpful to inform crisis responders of important details related to the crisis before they speak to your loved one. We hope the following tips will help you feel prepared to talk to crisis responders in a mental health crisis.

Tips for Talking with Crisis Responders:

If possible, greet crisis responders when they arrive and introduce yourself before they speak to your loved one
Tell the crisis responders your loved one’s name and how best to address them
Emphasize that the situation is a mental health crisis, and that your loved one needs urgent support and treatment
Clearly describe what your loved one is saying and doing that leads you to believe they are having a mental health crisis. For example:
- Don’t say: “My sister is a danger to herself.”
  - Do say: “My sister is hearing voices, and she is lying down in the middle of a busy street.”
- Don’t say: “My son is suicidal.”
  - Do say: “My son has told me 3 times in the last 24 hours that he intends to die by suicide, and he has locked himself in his room with all of his medication.”
Tell the crisis responders if you believe there is or isn’t any danger of violence, or if there are weapons nearby
Be prepared to share information about immediate mental health needs including your loved one's mental health diagnoses, medications they are taking, names of current treatment providers, any recent substance use, and symptoms they’re experiencing that make you worried for their safety and well-being
Be prepared to share information about your loved one’s mental health history including their hospitalization history, treatment history, and any previous history of violence, suicide attempts, or legal involvement

After speaking with your loved one and assessing the situation, mobile crisis workers or police officers may help with de-escalating the situation, scheduling follow-up appointments for mental health services, or partnering with your loved one to get urgent treatment and support.

Crisis workers or police officers may involuntarily hospitalize your loved one if they are unwilling or unable to engage with emergency mental health treatment on their own. Involuntary treatment laws are different in each state, but they generally require that someone is at serious risk of harming themselves or someone else, or they are completely unable to care for their basic needs in such a way that their safety is at risk.

The Crisis Responders/Police Officers Left. What Can I Do Now?

If you disagree with what crisis responders recommend for your loved one, we encourage you to stay calm and consider calling a friend, mental health professional, or an advocate for support. You can try learning more about what is considered a mental health crisis, so you can use that information to advocate for your loved one the next time you speak with crisis workers and/or law enforcement.

If your loved one continues to do and say things that make you worry about their safety, or if their situation worsens, you can call for help again. The situation can be reassessed, and your loved one may meet the criteria for involuntary hospitalization even though they initially did not.

In the meantime, you might consider connecting with your loved one’s treatment team, if applicable, to review their safety plan or other steps you may take to support them. You can also contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for help with safety planning and understanding your options in a crisis.

The above suggestions and much more information about navigating a mental health crisis can be found in NAMI’s Navigating a Mental Health Crisis Guide. For someone experiencing a mental health crisis, the support of a family member or friend can make all the difference. We hope this information will help you secure the best help for your loved one and take care of yourself along the way.

We are so glad you found this information. NAMI HelpLine offers a Family Caregiver Service. It brings together family caregivers with shared experiences and equips HelpLine Specialists with knowledge and insights into what helps. If you are a family caregiver and would like support from a peer, we encourage you to call the NAMI Family Caregiver HelpLine at 800-950-NAMI (6264) or send a text to 62640. We are available Monday through Friday, from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm EST.

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

Call: 800-950-NAMI (6264)

Text: 62640

Email: helpline@nami.org

Website: www.nami.org/help