As with medical emergencies, mental health emergencies can be life-threatening. A mental health emergency exists when people are at risk of imminent harm to themselves or others, or their judgment and ability to care for themselves is so compromised that they may not be able to function safely.

Signs of a mental health emergency include:

• Expressions of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, plans, or behaviors

• Imminent threats or aggression toward others

• Loss of contact with reality, including paranoid or grandiose thinking

• Hallucinations, including hearing and/or seeing things no one else can perceive

• Extreme agitation

• Rambling or incoherent speech

• Severe panic 

What to do in a mental health emergency:

1. Do not leave the person who is in crisis alone, even for a moment. Call 911 immediately.

2. If possible, keep other guests safe by encouraging the guest with the emergency to sit or stand in an area away from the other guests.

3. Contact the on-call Shift Lead as soon as possible. Provide concise accurate information regarding the incident. 

4. After the situation is resolved, document appropriately.