Community Mental Health

Emergency and After-Hours Access to Services

A "mental health emergency" is when a person is experiencing a serious mental illness, an intellectual/developmental disability, or a child is experiencing a serious emotional disturbance and can reasonably be expected in the near future to harm themselves or another, or because of their inability to meet their basic needs is at risk of harm, or the person's judgment is so impaired that they are unable to understand the need for treatment and that their condition is expected to result in harm to themselves or another individual in the near future. You have the right to receive emergency services at any time, 24-hours a day, seven days a week, without prior authorization for payment of care.

If you have a mental health emergency, you should seek help right away. Go to the nearest hospital emergency room for assistance. If there is no hospital nearby, or if you don't know where it is, please call 911 for assistance.