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CRISIS SITUATION:
For more information on this section, please contact Deborah Theisen. |
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The best way to plan for a crisis situation is to be prepared. It sounds very simple, but it is something many of us do not like to think about, or we put it off when it does not seem it will be needed soon. All too often, however, things can change so quickly. When you are in the middle of high emotions is not the best time to try to make phone calls and get information. You can not put a plan into action if you do not have one in place. We are going to address some of the things you can do to make sure you are better prepared for a crisis situation. Being prepared will help eliminate some of the stress for the whole family. A crisis will never be fun or welcome, but there are ways to make it less traumatic.
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Talk with your care providers to find out what would happen in a crisis situation - ask which facilities are available to your child or teen. These may be local hospitals, crisis centers, crisis stabilization units (CSU) at mental health/substance abuse facilities.
Call your insurance to see which of the available facilities are covered. Ask about copayments, deductibles, how many days you must for before they provide 100% coverage.
Put together a crisis plan - maybe your providers can be ready to write a letter supporting hospitalization that you can quickly get if your child needs to go to the hospital or CSU. Especially if your child seems fine when you arrive, these letters and your log can help. If the child is not admitting something is wrong, intake may not admit them. There are other ways to handle this but you will need your care providers help to get admittance to happen.
Talk with your child or teen in advance. Let them know that the most important thing is their health and safety, and that at times their illness or medications may cause them to need help in a hospital setting. Emphasize if this is medically necessary to have them observed or to have a medication change while in a safe environment, it may be done in a hospital or CSU.
Call local facilities and ask if they provide tours. Often they do. Even if you can not go to the actual unit, you can get a feeling of the atmosphere and staff. You will also know exactly how to get there, where to park, where to go upon arrival and more so that if hospitalization becomes necessary, you and your family can be prepared. That alone will save a lot of hassle!
If police involvement becomes a possibility, call your local sheriff and find out what is protocol for if a call is made (by child, parent or someone else). Obviously they will probably come to the home...but then what? A few minute phone call to your local deputy should answer these questions. For example, if they arrive but the child is completely calm at that point...what then? If they arrive and the child is raging or out of control, what happens? Does the child or teen ride in the police car while you follow in your own car? Where do they take the child (it probably depends on the county or city in which you live)? Just as explaining to your child that hospitals may be needed for help sometimes, the same can be said of police. For young children, you can explain in a simple way that they could get to ride in a real police car (if that is a possibility) but that you will be following in your car.
Coming soon!
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DISCLAIMER: Though all attempts are made to provide accuracy, we are not responsible for inacurrate information on the site or that you may find through links that take you off of this site. All information contained within this site is for informational purposes only and not to be construed as medical advice. Please contact your physician for medical advice and treatment.©2007-2008 FKMAD
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Call 911 if a medical emergency. If in West Central Florida and you have a young child or teen with a mental health or substance abuse crisis, contact a facility such as Manatee Glens in Bradenton.
Print our flyer to share with friends, family, care providers and the community!
24: A Day in the Life of Bipolar Children and Their Families
by Janice Papolos .
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