Weekly Tip - Dealing with Mental Illness

1. Life Threatening Emergency - Dial 9-1-1

Call 24 hours a day in case of an extreme emergency if you, your loved one and/or the public are facing an imminent threat. 

2. Urgent Questions - call the Department of Mental Health (DMH) ACCESS Center (800) 854-7771 Call: 24 hours a day

If you need help with a situation that seems to be getting worse, but hasn't turned into an emergency, call the DMH Access Center. They will discuss resources and if necessary, may send a Psychiatric Mobile Response team to your location to help evaluate the situation. However, the Response Team won't come out right away, it may take a few hours, so if the situation changes to an emergency, dial 911 immediately. 

3. Start a Caregiver Plan - Dial 2-1-1 Call: 24 hours a day

211 LA County provides access to comprehensive social services and disaster support for Los Angeles County residents. They work closely with the DMH ACCESS Center on mental health resources. They can help you with questions about your loved one's behavior such as suicidal thoughts, hallucinations, or what to do when your loved one becomes gravely disabled. After a series of telephone prompts, you will speak to a live person. (http://211.org)

4. Who Qualifies for a '5150' Hold?

Under certain circumstances, officers can place your loved one on a 5150 Hold. This means a mentally ill person is held for at least 72-hours at a hospital while being evaluated. This can only be done when (1) the individual presents a danger to himself or others, or (2) a person is so disabled that he or she cannot take care of daily life activities (for example, has stopped eating for days and won't come out of the bedroom). However, this is a very difficult standard to meet. In most cases, the APD cannot take your loved one to a hospital against his or her will. 

5. Crisis Lines:

Suicide Prevention and Survivor Hotline: 

(24 hours/7 days) 

Calling from Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside and Imperial Counties: 

• English: 877-727-4747

• Spanish: 888-628-9454

Calling from outside the above counties:

• (310) 391-1253

Substance Abuse Hotline: 

(800) 564-6600

Veterans Services: 

(877) 452-8387

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): 

(800) 950-NAMI (6264)

www.nami.org

San Gabriel Valley NAMI:

http://www.namisangabrielvalley.org/

Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center:

(323) 993-7400

*Modified post and information from our partners at Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department