A #mentalhealth emergency is usually a situation in which someone’s #mental state seems to be dangerous, either to themselves or to others around them. It’s appropriate to take a #child, #teenager or young adult to the #emergencyroom if their #behavior becomes dangerously risky or violent, or if they are threatening to harm themselves or someone else.
Sometimes #parents, #school officials or #policeofficers will send a young person to the ER if they are out of control or appear to be out of touch with reality.
If you find yourself taking a child to the emergency room, it’s important to know what to expect. In a #mentalhealthcrisis, what happens at the ER is different than when you go for an injury or physical illness.
Assessing safety
First, the #ER doctors are not going to diagnose or treat what’s upsetting your child. There’s no #mentalhealth equivalent of setting a broken leg.
The primary thing the #doctors do at the #ER is assess the safety of your #child. The key question they will be trying to answer is whether your child is an imminent danger to themselves or others. And they will recommend a course of action going forward.
If, despite your child’s distress, they don’t think there is imminent danger, they may send you home with a recommendation for follow-up care with a #therapist. If they think your child is at high risk of #suicide or harm to others, hospitalization is the next step. This is because the doctors’ top priority is to keep your child safe and alive.
The doctors will make this safety assessment by talking with you and your child. At some point you will be asked to step out of the room so that the #doctors can speak privately with your #child. Doctors do this because it is not uncommon for a #child to tell doctors about a #suicide plan that they did not talk about with #parents.
Make sure you write down the names of all the #doctors who speak to your #child. Take notes of everything they say. Your emotions will be running too high to process everything that’s coming at you, so write it all down.
#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy
www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com
Plans for follow-up care
If your #child doesn’t already have an outpatient team (like a #therapist or #psychiatrist), try to have the hospital set up a follow-up appointment with a provider before you leave.?
If you are in the #ER in the evening or on a weekend, ask for the name of the social worker at the hospital who will be arranging the follow-up appointment, and get their direct phone number. Call the #socialworker first thing the next business day. If they don’t answer, call again two hours later. Keep calling until you get the appointment set. If you are not getting a response from the social worker, consider contacting the #patient advocate at the hospital.
You can also use a #therapist that you find on your own. But private #therapists can be expensive and hard to find. You may want to take whatever clinic appointment the hospital offers even if you plan to go private, so you are getting some sort of help while you get your longer-term plan in order. For more on finding affordable therapy, see our tips on finding a children’s #mentalhealthprofessional.
If you disagree with the doctor’s safety assessment
If you feel your #child is a #suiciderisk or may hurt others, make your opinion known loud and clear. Be specific about your concerns: things your #child may have said to you and patterns of #behavior that indicate things are getting worse.?
If your #child sees a #therapist regularly and the #therapist can visit you in the?#ER, ask the #doctors doing the hospital evaluation to speak with that #therapist?(you will have to sign a release so they can share information). If they still do not agree to hold your #child, ask who is liable if your #child makes a #suicideattempt within the next 48 hours. You can also consider writing the words, “#Parent has communicated to medical staff that she feels #child is not safe to return home” on the discharge papers before signing.
About short-term observation
Some hospitals have a short-term observation unit where a #child can be held for up to 72 hours. In some places this is called a #ComprehensivePsychiatricEmergencyProgram (#CPEP). When a #child is at high risk yet it’s not clear if inpatient treatment is needed, a couple of days in a low-#stress environment like this (almost no activities, no therapy, 24-hour observation and a?lot?of television) may be a helpful next step.
If inpatient treatment is recommended
If your #child is admitted for inpatient care, it may take a day or two or even more for a bed to open up (especially if you arrived late in the day, on a Friday, or near a holiday). This means your #kid may be in the #ER for a long time.
In most cases, the inpatient bed will be in a different location. Before the social work team starts looking for a spot, ask what the options are. In some cases, one facility may be far away while another is closer, or one may have 12 beds (and perhaps a calmer environment) instead of 24. It’s fair to ask which units have the best reputation. The #doctor in the #ER may never have been to any of the facilities, and may never have treated someone released from there, but the social work team often knows more about the options.
Older #teens may be eligible for either #adolescent or #adult units. When possible, opt for #adolescent. The illnesses on an #adult ward are likely to be more severe.
If you have a long wait until a bed is found, do not feel that you have to stay in the #ER with your #child the whole time. Your #kid is probably going to watch television most of the time anyway. Go home and pick up your child’s toothbrush, toiletries (nothing in glass bottles), pajamas (no drawstrings), underclothes, slippers or socks or shoes without laces and a couple of days’ worth of clothes. Bring magazines, puzzle books or other forms of entertainment; electronics will not be permitted on the unit. You might want to bring some food for your child, too, since hospital food isn’t the best.
And be kind to yourself. Remember that you are doing the right thing for your child.
Return to Connect to Care for more information about getting #kids help.
https://standingabovethecrowd.com/2023/08/jamesdonaldson-on-mentalhealth-about-taking-a-child-to-the-emergencyroom/
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