Crisis Services
What Is a Mental Health Crisis?
A crisis is a short-term, temporary situation involving persons who may be suicidal and thinking about hurting themselves; may be homicidal and thinking about hurting others; may be unable to provide food or shelter for themselves as a result of a mental illness; and require immediate counseling to resolve and lessen their acute mental health problems.
Accessing Crisis Intervention Services
Crisis intervention services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 1-800-842-8979 during normal working hours 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays); a staff person will respond to your call. After working hours and on holidays, when you call you will be connected to a crisis counselor who will assist you with your mental health needs.
Walk-ins are welcome at either of our offices at 2060 Campus Drive in Yreka or 1107 Ream Avenue in Mt. Shasta during working hours. As a walk-in, if the situation is not an emergency, you might be scheduled for an appointment at the earliest opportunity. If the situation is an emergency than a counselor will meet with you. If you need immediate assistance, go to the emergency room at Fairchild Medical Center or Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta Hospital.
Who Is Excluded from Our Crisis Intervention Services?
- Persons who are intoxicated from ingestion of alcohol or under the influence of illegal drugs
- Individuals with an organic brain disorder such as: Alzheimer’s Disease or Parkinson’s Disease
If someone you know needs help with an alcohol or drug program, call us at 1-800-842-8979 to learn about our Alcohol and Other Drug Services Program. To get help for a person with an organic brain disorder, please talk to an Adult Protective Services worker at 530-841-4200 about how to get help for them.
What May Happen?
The crisis counselor will make efforts to help you make a plan to avoid harming yourself or another person or neglecting your basic needs. Those persons who are at imminent risk as a danger to themselves or others, or are gravely disabled (unable to provide for their food and shelter) as a result of a mental disorder, may be involuntarily transported to an inpatient psychiatric hospital for evaluation and treatment.
