Respond Effectively to Individuals in Crisis
Crisis services are an important part of a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention. Although the term crisis services is often used to refer to hotlines or helplines, it also encompasses other programs that provide assessment, crisis stabilization, and referral to an appropriate level of ongoing care.
Examples include:
- Mobile crisis teams
- Walk-in crisis clinics
- Hospital-based psychiatric emergency services
- Peer-based crisis services
Providing a full range of crisis services can reduce suicides when paired with mental health follow-up care. Many communities offer two or three types of crisis care, but few provide a full continuum of services designed to provide the right care at the right time in the least restrictive setting. However, this is changing as we learn more about the cost-effectiveness and positive outcomes associated with providing a full continuum of care.
Providing a full range of crisis services can reduce suicides when paired with mental health follow-up care.
Take Action
- Learn more about the crisis service system in your community or catchment area.
- As part of a strategic planning process, conduct an assessment to identify strengths and gaps in the system, including obtaining input from individuals who have used these systems and people with lived experience.
- Develop institutional protocols in advance of a crisis to help ensure effective and compassionate response and care.
- Build community and organizational capacity to provide a full continuum of crisis care services.
- Ensure that the crisis system workforce is adequately trained in suicide risk assessment.
Recommended Resources
Crisis now: Transforming services is within our reach
This Action Alliance report describes what can be done to improve suicide care in emergency departments and behavioral ...
A continuum of behavioral health crisis services
This document describes the continuum of behavioral health crisis services.
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Resources in behavioral health crisis services
This document provides information on crisis services and provides lists of crisis lines and mobile crisis intervention...
Policies and protocols addressing the needs of youths who have attempted or are considering suicide
This Lessons Learned Working Group document summarizes recommendations for developing protocols to respond to youth exp...
Person-Centered Care
John Draper challenges traditional ideas about what the “best care” for people at risk of suicide is and champions a transformative perspective.