SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- Questions about mental health are tricky and it can be confusing to know when to seek help or what to do if someone you know is having a mental health crisis.
The County of San Diego provides guidelines of what to do in a mental health emergency. The county gives a list of the primary mental health and psychological emergencies that 911, police and EMS handle.
On a county form titled “ San Diego County behavioral health emergency response plan,” the county lists things to look out for when observing others.
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See the list below for more on what to look out for:
- Exhibiting strange, unusual or disorganized behavior. When the behavior may be dangerous, a medical emergency or a mental health-related problem.
- Exhibiting violent behavior When there has been violence or there is evidence of an immediate risk of violence towards self or others.
Click here to view the full form.
Once on the phone with emergency personnel, you may be asked questions such as whether or not the person you’re calling about has any weapons at the moment, if the person has a history of violence and whether or not the person has used drugs or alcohol recently.
Anyone who needs information on how to handle a mental health crisis can call the Access and Crisis Line at 1-888-724-7240. The line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
