If a situation escalates into an emergency where an individual is a harm to themselves or others, you may have to call the police. 911 will triage the call and dispatch Law Enforcement or EMS to the scene to determine next steps.
Situations that include a need for immediate action or intervention include if the individual has disappeared, is likely to harm themselves or others, or is threatening, talking about, or making specific plans for suicide, excessive substance use, and/or the individual cannot resolve the situation with skills and resources available.
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Connect to Care Directory for this need
When an officer arrives at your home, say “this is a mental health crisis.” Mention you can share any helpful information, then step out of the way.
Some, but not all, police deparments may have access to a mental health provider to assist with the situation.
Some, but not all, officers are trained in de-escalation and working with individuals in crisis.
Police may not be able to intervene if the individual is only threatening themselves and would pose a danger to the officer or others if the officer intervened. Police can write a transport hold if they determine the person needs to be transported to the Emergency Department and is unwilling to go voluntarily. They may rely on EMS for transport in this situation. EMS may opt not to transport if in their assessment it is dangerous to do so or there is no medical need to do so.