For Loved Ones · Crisis
When to call for help — and how
SAMHSA's overview of the U.S. crisis continuum: 988, mobile crisis, crisis stabilization, and the alternatives to calling 911.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration7 min read
SAMHSA's family-facing crisis guidance walks through the real options when a loved one is in danger: 988 for talk or text, local mobile crisis teams that can be dispatched in many cities, crisis stabilization units as an alternative to ED boarding, and the considerations that go into a 911 call when a person is in immediate danger.
The single most useful preparation is to know — in advance — what your county's crisis system actually offers, because a search at 2 a.m. is not the time to find out.
Mental Hum's library is a curated index of authoritative third-party resources. The summary above is our own framing; the full information lives at the source.
A note on this article
Mental Hum publishes general education, not medical advice. If something here reflects your own experience, please consider speaking to a clinician. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.