Mental Health Crisis Support

How to Get Emergency or Crisis Care for Your Child or Teen

October 2026

We are experiencing extremely high demand for mental and behavioral health care in our Emergency Department. You may experience longer-than-usual wait times. We are here for you and want to provide additional resources.

  • If you need emergency care, call 911 or go to your closest appropriate emergency department. Youth in crisis shouldn’t travel further than they need to.
  • Signs of a mental or behavioral health emergency include:
    • Your child is at immediate risk for harm due to suicidal thoughts or feelings, or requires emergency medical care due to self-harm or a suicide attempt.
    • Your child is at immediate risk of harming others.
    • Your child requires emergency medical care because of a substance use disorder or eating disorder.
    • Your child cannot take part in safety planning to avoid self-harm.
    • Your child has lost the ability to care for themselves or do the basic tasks needed to keep themselves clean or healthy, different than their normal behavior.
    • You are concerned that you cannot keep your child safe until they have an appointment.
  • If you, your child, family or friend needs help right away, call, chat or text 988.
    • The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides free 24/7 access to trained crisis responders. They will help to assess the crisis and discuss next steps, potentially connecting you to crisis services available in your county. Calls to 988 are confidential. County Crisis Lines are also available and can connect youth to mobile crisis units to respond and assist with safety planning, lethal means counseling, and connection to ongoing care.
    • Deaf and Hard of Hearing people can get help through 988 or the Deaf Crisis Line.
  • If this is not an emergency but you need mental and behavioral health support: 
    • Visit Psychiatric Urgent Care to make an in-person or virtual (video) appointment (Washington only, ages 4 through 17). If today’s appointments are full, check back often to see if we have had any cancellations. Tomorrow’s appointments will open at midnight tonight. Learn when to go to an emergency department and when to use Psychiatric Urgent Care.
    • Contact your child’s primary care provider.
    • Contact your child's school-based mental health provider if there is one available. This may be through a school-based health center or a community-based organization who provides services on-site.

How To Find Other Mental and Behavioral Health Resources