Important: If you, or someone you know, has a serious mental health concern, please reach out to one of the following crisis intervention resources for more information.
The following content is meant to be for informational purposes only and is not meant to replace professional, medical advice.
Too often, we hear stories of young people taking their own lives and we find ourselves asking what could have been done to prevent these tragedies. Suicide is a public health crisis in this country, and youth suicide rates are striking and concerning: It is the second leading cause of death among youth ages 10-18, and according to the CDC, suicide rates have increased significantly for all age groups across most states between 1999-2016.
WHAT IS A PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY? (Source: American Academy of Children & Adolescent Psychiatry)
Reasons to bring your child for an emergency mental health evaluation include:
Risk of harm to self, such as:
Saying in person or online that they want to kill themselves
Searching online about how to kill themselves
Taking steps to kill themselves like stockpiling pills, making a noose, or getting a gun or other weapons
Writing a suicide note
Giving away favorite belongings or making a will
Cutting or hurting themselves in order to die or not talking about why
Risk of harm to others, such as:
Saying in person or online that they plan to kill a person or large groups of people
Becoming more violent towards others
Starting fires, destroying property, or harming animals
Threatening a person with a weapon
Changes in behavior or thinking, such as:
Acting strangely or not making sense
Losing touch with reality
Seeing or hearing things that are not there
Becoming paranoid
Mental Health Crisis Lines
The mental health crisis lines listed below are available for all people in Washington regardless of your income or whether you have insurance or not. For immediate help: call 911 for a life-threatening emergency.
Texting Options:
Text HOME to 741741.
Text HELP to 1-360-377-5560
The Coffee Oasis Text Crisis Line is a phone line that provides effective and compassionate support for youth 13-25, in crisis. It is run by trained volunteers and staff members. Click HERE for more information
Phone Call Options:
For suicide prevention: Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TRS: 1-800-799-4889)
Spokane 24/7 Regional Crisis line: 1-877-266-1818
SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline
24/7, 365-day-a-year, national hotline dedicated to providing immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster.
Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.
Spanish speakers can call the hotline and press “2” for 24/7 bilingual support
Learn more and download information about the Disaster Distress Helpline in 30 of the most commonly spoken languages in the U.S.
Frontier Behavioral Health
Frontier Behavioral Health’s Access to Care department offers intake assessments on a walk-in basis with no appointment necessary Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., at 17 E. First Ave.
Or call 509.838.4651, Ext. 012082 to set up an initial appointment.
Providence Psychiatric Center for Children and Adolescents (PCCA)
The Psychiatric Center for Children and Adolescents (PCCA) provides short-term interventions to help kids, aged 12-18, get back on track after a mental health emergency. Patients are referred to PCCA through the Emergency Department (ED). Once admitted, patients receive 24/7 care while their treatment team works on three primary treatment goals: stabilization of the mental health crisis, assessment of the patient’s mental health, and referral to appropriate services for ongoing care.
PCCA helps patients achieve stabilization, assessment, and referral by offering interventions from a multidisciplinary approach. Interventions vary depending on each patient’s needs and can include medication management, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)-informed skills groups, observation by and interaction with nurses and mental health counselors (MHCs) to ensure a safe environment, psychological assessment, behavioral assessment, medical assessment and treatment for any acute medical problems, family therapy, safety planning, advocacy to assist with the initiation of 504/IEP assessments at school and social work to assist with referrals for ongoing care. PCCA collaborates with families and outpatient therapists to help the patients have a smooth transition back home when they are ready for discharge.
PCCA (509) 474-3213
Providence Behavioral Emotional Skills Training (BEST)
Behavioral Emotional Skills Training (BEST) is a hospital-based day treatment program that provides intensive therapeutic treatment for boys and girls attending grade school, kindergarten through sixth grade. The five-week program is designed for children who have behavioral and emotional problems affecting relationships with family and friends and with school performance.
BEST works closely with families, schools, and other agencies to provide a program suited to the child’s individual needs, as well as provide a transition back to outpatient services. BEST provides individualized client care via a multidisciplinary approach. While enrolled, each child will work with a team including a psychiatrist, registered nurse, clinical social worker, mental health counselor, and Spokane Public Schools instructor.
BEST Program (509) 474-2223
Providence Rise Program
Every person is an expert on their own life. Recovery involves working in partnership to provide support in a way that makes sense to that person. Our goal is to help program participants build on their strengths and increase their resilience while learning skills to be successful and thrive in the community.
RISE is a behavioral health intensive outpatient program for adolescents and adults. The day-treatment program is designed for people dealing with a variety of mental health concerns who are at risk for inpatient hospitalization or are being discharged from inpatient care, as well as those seeking more intensive services than are provided in the traditional outpatient setting. The primary diagnoses that are treated by the RISE Program are depressive disorders and anxiety disorders. RISE has an adolescent program that serves adolescents ages 13-17, and an adult program that services individuals 18 or older.
RISE teaches skills designed to address a variety of concerns, including:
Goal Setting
Mindfulness
Distress Tolerance
Emotion Regulation
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Self-care
Safety Planning
Symptom Management
Relapse Prevention
After completing the program, participants will:
Have a recovery action plan that will aid them in managing their symptoms more effectively
Recognize the onset of symptoms and early warning signs
Know how to develop and maintain a support system
Develop healthy and effective coping skills
Know how to deal with a crisis or safety issue
Individuals may be referred through emergency departments, community behavioral health providers, and schools. Individuals may also self-refer.
RISE Program (509) 252-6446
Other Crisis Services
Crisis Shelter for Women and Children: Union Gospel Mission
The Crisis Shelter for Women and Children exists to provide a safe, healthy, short-term refuge for women and children in crisis. The Shelter strives to keep as many women and children off the streets as possible and admits guests until it reaches full capacity.
A playground for younger children was created adjacent to the facility, providing a safe, clean play area for the children at the Shelter and in the surrounding neighborhood.
https://www.uniongospelmission.org/crisis-shelter-for-women-and-children/
Women's Recovery at Anna Ogden Hall
Women’s Recovery provides a safe, welcoming refuge and long-term treatment for women of all ages who are seeking to turn their lives in a new direction. They are introduced to a God who loves them and desires to redeem the brokenness of their lives. The program, which includes individual and group counseling, classes, vocational training, and addiction recovery, lasts approximately 18 months. Women with children can rest assured that their children will find a welcoming home, as well.
https://www.uniongospelmission.org/womens-recovery-at-anna-ogden-hall/
Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery
1004 E. 8th Ave.
535-3155
Offers free short-term care for children birth to 6 years old when parents are experiencing a crisis or are in need of support for their children.
Child Protective Services
1313 N. Atlantic St., Suite 2000
363-3333
Provides services for children under 18 who are abused and/or neglected.
The H.E.A.R.T. Program
YWCA of Spokane
829 W. Broadway
326-1190, ext. 117 & ext. 152
Assists homeless families with housing, transportation, and basic needs.
NE SNAP Food Bank
4001 N. Cook
487-1114
Call for appointments or walk-ins are welcome on Thursdays after 1:00 p.m.
Crosswalk
525 W. 2nd
838-6596
Temporary shelter for teenagers.
Salvation Army
1403 W. Broadway
325-6814
Temporary shelter for married couples or families with children.
SAFeT
Sexual Assault & Family Trauma Response Center
S. 7 Howard, Suite 200
747-8224
Provides counseling and support to others who have experienced violence and/or trauma.
At-Risk Youth/CHINS petition
Juvenile Court
477-6408 or 323-1166
Assists parents by providing court orders for their children requiring intervention based on documented high-risk behaviors.
SNAP Homeless/Housing Programs
500 S. Stone
456-7106
Assistance with mortgage and housing.
Family Care Resource and Referral
Call 509-362-2521
web site:
http://community-minded.org/child-care-assistance-program-ccap/