What do I do if my child needs immediate mental health support?

If your child is exhibiting dangerous behavior and you need to intervene to stop an attempted suicide, or prevent one, call 911 or or your local emergency mental health access number, or take your child to the hospital. Here are some options for immediate support:

• Call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-854-7771, and find more resources on the DMH website. You can also use the the national suicide line by calling or texting ‘988’ or chat online on 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s website (website for Deaf and hard of hearing here).
• Disaster Distress Helpline: Call or text 800‑985‑5990 for 24/7 support.
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for 24/7 crisis support.
• California Warm Peer Line: Call 855‑845‑7415 for 24/7 for non-emergency support to talk to a peer counselor with lived experience.
• California Youth Crisis Line: Youth ages 12-24 can call or text 800‑843‑5200
• TEEN LINE: Teens can talk to another teen by texting “TEEN” to 839863 from 6pm – 9pm, or call 800‑852‑8336 from 6pm – 10pm.
• National Suicide Prevention Deaf and Hard of Hearing Hotline: Access 24/7 video relay service by dialing 800‑273‑8255 (TTY 800‑799‑4889).
• If you have Medi-Cal, you can call the number on your membership card for mental health services. You can also call your local county mental health line. To find out what services are covered, call the Medi-Cal Managed Care and Mental Health Office of the Ombudsman at 888‑452‑8609. They are available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Parents, caregivers, children, and youth up to the age of 25 can receive support at the California Parent & Youth Helpline. Call or text 855‑427‑2736 to speak to caring and trained counselors. Live chatting is also available on their website.
• NAMI California has resources for family members supporting loved ones with mental health conditions. You can call their HelpLine at 800‑950‑NAMI to get information, resource referrals and support from 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.

For more information, see our article Mental Health for Kids with Disabilities 101.