Which contact or team is appropriate to reach in a mental health crisis?

Which contact or team is appropriate to reach in a mental health crisis?

• A. Detoxification unit
• B. Police dispatch
• C. Crisis Intervention Team
• D. Hospital admissions office

Answer: (C)

In a mental health crisis, safety and rapid connection to appropriate care are the top goals. A Crisis Intervention Team is a group of responders trained specifically to handle crisis scenes with de‑escalation, risk assessment, and immediate linkage to mental health services. This team can assess danger, decide if someone needs further treatment or hospital care, and coordinate with clinicians or mobile crisis resources to get the person the help they need—often avoiding unnecessary arrests or inappropriate placements. Detoxification units are focused on substance withdrawal and aren’t designed for general mental health crises on the scene. Police dispatch is the communications hub that gets help started, but it doesn’t provide the specialized on-site crisis intervention. The hospital admissions office handles processing once someone is admitted, not the on-scene response to a crisis.

In a mental health crisis, safety and rapid connection to appropriate care are the top goals. A Crisis Intervention Team is a group of responders trained specifically to handle crisis scenes with de‑escalation, risk assessment, and immediate linkage to mental health services. This team can assess danger, decide if someone needs further treatment or hospital care, and coordinate with clinicians or mobile crisis resources to get the person the help they need—often avoiding unnecessary arrests or inappropriate placements.

Detoxification units are focused on substance withdrawal and aren’t designed for general mental health crises on the scene. Police dispatch is the communications hub that gets help started, but it doesn’t provide the specialized on-site crisis intervention. The hospital admissions office handles processing once someone is admitted, not the on-scene response to a crisis.