Mental Health Crisis Services
If you or someone you know is at immediate risk of seriously harming themselves or someone else, call 911.
In a mental health crisis, call 1-833-295-0616
24 hours a day, 7 days a week (711 TTY)
What to do in a crisis
If you have a mental health crisis, you should seek help right away.
- If the situation is potentially life-threatening, get immediate help by calling 911.
- If the situation is NOT life-threatening, it is not always necessary to go to the Emergency Department. You can receive crisis services by calling 1-833-295-0616 at any time, 24 hours a day, and seven days a week, without prior authorization for payment. (If you have insurance, this may be billed. However, there will be no out-of-pocket costs to you.)
Call us if…
- An individual is experiencing out-of-control behaviors that place him/herself at risk of harming self or others.
- An individual is expressing thoughts of suicide.
- An individual is experiencing severe stress that is resulting in a significant decline in daily and/or family functioning.
- You just don’t know what else to do.
Help for you on the phone or in-person
- Reduce unnecessary trauma to the person involved
- Eliminate long stays in an emergency department and prevent unnecessary hospitalizations
- Help a person resolve crisis in the home
What are mobile mental health crisis services?
“Mobile” means the team comes to you where the crisis is occurring. Mobile mental health services are short-term, on the phone or face-to-face services intended to restore an individual’s or family’s functioning level to where it was before the crisis. Mobile mental health crisis response offers adults as well as children and families an opportunity to de-escalate a situation or problem in the least restrictive setting, while also developing strategies to address any future safety concerns.
A word about safety
NLCMHA provides crisis services in a variety of settings including office buildings, hospitals, schools, jails, and community settings. NLCMHA will meet the person where they are when providing crisis services, including the home and community environment(s).
Sometimes mental health crises place the safety of the person, the crisis responders, or others in jeopardy. An appropriate response will not only address the physical safety of those involved but also their psychological safety. NLCMHA staff will consider the risks and benefits of every interaction during the crisis service intervention contact.
A meaningful response will be conducted in the least restrictive environment, using the least restrictive interventions for the individual and situation, and will include access to timely supports and services
What is a mental health crisis?
Not all crises involve harm to self or others.
Certainly when a person is at risk of harming him or herself or others, this indicates the need for a crisis response.
Beyond this, it is not uncommon for the crisis event to include feelings of intense personal distress, disruptions in daily living, and/or catastrophic life events.
A mental health crisis is self-defined. No one is denied access to crisis services.
Family Assessment & Safety Team, or FAST…is mobile mental health crisis response for children and families
FAST adds an extra level of support for families with children age 0 through 20 years in behavioral health crisis in NLCMHA’s six counties.
The FAST team is available to support you and your child through a mental health crisis while working to stabilize your situation. The team can be deployed to a home or school setting, and is available all hours Monday through Friday, evenings and weekends.
Follow up care can last up to 90 days or until services are in place.
NLCMHA and community partners Munson Medical Center, Child and Family Services of Northwest Michigan / Third Level Crisis Intervention Service, local Departments of Health and Human Services, and local law enforcement all work together to:
- Provide a team of care providers working for children and families
- Connect people to resources to help them get back to their regular level of functioning
- Help individuals stay connected to their ongoing services
To access, call 1-833-295-0616 and ask for FAST.
Expectations
The person/family will be actively involved and the strengths and capabilities of the person/family will be used in resolving the crisis. It is important to remember that the crisis events are temporary and do not define a person’s broader life journey.
NLCMHA staff will look at the person’s larger journey to recovery and resilience when considering interventions to preserve dignity, strengthen families, foster a sense of hope, and promote self-care.
Thank You to Our Funders
FAST services are funded by a grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund and supported by funds from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Mental Health Services, through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.