My loved one was taken to a hospital for a mental health emergency, but the hospital won’t tell me if my loved one is there. What can I do?

Not knowing where your loved one is during a mental health crisis can be frightening and frustrating. Hospitals often cannot confirm whether a person is a patient because of privacy rules, but that doesn’t mean you have no way to help. Even if hospital staff can’t share information with you, you can still share information with them. Giving the treatment team accurate details about your loved one’s diagnosis, medications and history can help them provide better care. The steps below can help you get that information to the right people. 

Contact the Hospital 

Call the hospital and ask if your loved one is there. If hospital staff decline to answer, ask for and make a note of the person’s name, job title and phone number. Explain that you would like to send information to the hospital in case your loved one is there, and ask for the name of the treating physician in the emergency department (or the psychiatric unit, if you believe your loved one has already been admitted). 

Sample script: “Please tell me your name, job title and phone number. I would like the name and contact information for the treating physician in the emergency department (or hospital psychiatric unit), where I can send information in the event my loved one is there at the hospital.” 

If hospital staff say they cannot give you that information for confidentiality reasons, you can let them know that: 

• HIPAA permits one-way sharing of information with treatment providers, so the hospital can receive information from you even if it cannot share information back. 
• The name of a treating physician on duty is not HIPAA-protected information. 

Send Information About Your Loved One 

At the earliest possible opportunity, email, fax or hand-deliver a letter to the hospital emergency department or psychiatric unit with the following information about your loved one: 

• Date and time you believe they came to the hospital 
• Name and date of birth 
• Mental health diagnosis 
• Symptoms or behaviors that led to the current mental health crisis 
• Current medications and dosage 
• Summary of your loved one’s mental health history 

If your loved one has any of the following documents, include copies with your letter: 

• Health care proxy 
• Psychiatric advance directive (PAD) 

If the Hospital Won’t Share the Treating Physician’s Name 

If staff still decline to provide the name of the treating physician on duty, ask for contact information for the hospital’s legal department or risk management office. 

Sample script: “Please tell me your name, job title and phone number. I would like the email address or other contact information for the hospital legal department or risk management department, where I can send information in the event my loved one is there at the hospital.” 

At the earliest possible opportunity, email or fax a letter with the information listed above to the hospital legal department or risk management office. 

Additional Resources 

• NAMI’s Navigating a Mental Health Crisis: a resource guide with more guidance on sharing information with hospital staff, along with help navigating a crisis and making a plan for any future crises. 

• HHS: HIPAA and Mental Health: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services explains how HIPAA applies to mental health information, including when providers may share information with family members and friends. 

• HHS: Does HIPAA Permit a Doctor to Discuss a Patient’s Health with Family and Friends?: an official HHS answer, written for health care providers, explaining when a provider may share information with a patient’s family, including in emergencies or when the patient is unable to make decisions. Families may find it helpful to reference when speaking with hospital staff. 

• HIPAA for Caregivers: educates and advocates for compassionate communication between family and health care providers and provides helpful answers to frequently asked questions about HIPAA. 

• Treatment Advocacy Center: HIPAA Family Resource: explains how families can share information with their loved one’s treatment providers under HIPAA and includes a sample template for faxing information to a facility. 

• National Resource Center on Psychiatric Advance Directives (NRC-PAD): provides state-by-state information on psychiatric advance directives, including forms and instructions. 

• NAMI’s Policy Position on Psychiatric Advance Directives: explains what a PAD is and why NAMI supports their use. 

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