Recognizing and Managing a Mental Health Crisis: Direct Support Professionals

A mental health crisis means that a person’s feelings or problems are so strong that they cannot do what they need to do that day. A mental health crisis may also mean that the person is at risk of hurting themselves or others.

Signs of a mental health crisis:

These are some common signs that a person may be having a mental health crisis:

• Not able to do daily activities like bathing, brushing teeth, or changing clothes.
• Changes in mood, increased energy level, or restless
• Suddenly sad, withdrawn, not wanting to be around other people.
• Angry, verbal threats, violent, destroying property.
• Using drugs or other substances, self-harm like cutting, or abusive behavior.
• Not able to recognize family or friends, confused, strange ideas, thinks they are someone they are not, hearing voices, seeing things that are not there.

How long does a mental health crisis last?

Sometimes a crisis will only last a few minutes; other times, a crisis can last for days or months. It depends on how quickly the person is able to get help and the type of coping skills they have. If a person is able to widen their resilient or “OK” zone, they may be able to recover from a mental health crisis more quickly.

What should I do if the person I support is having a mental health crisis?

• The most important thing to do in a crisis is to TELL SOMEONE.
• Make sure they know to tell someone else that they are in crisis. They can help them to work on a plan to feel better if you, their DSP, are not with them.
• Tell them to start talking to a person they trust, like a parent, friend, support staff, or doctor. Tell them to be honest with them and tell them about the thoughts they’ve been having.
• If they need more help, they can talk to a professional by calling or texting the National Suicide Helpline at 9-8-8.
• If they need immediate help to stay safe, you should CALL 9-1-1.

How can I help prevent a mental health crisis?

It is helpful to plan how to handle a crisis before it happens. Having a plan can help the person you support get through a mental health crisis more easily or even prevent a crisis from happening.

Their plan should include:

• A list of triggers that may cause a mental health crisis, along with warning signs that a person may be having a hard time and needs additional support.
• Strategies to help them feel calm again. These can include things like the resilience skills, coping strategies they’ve learned from a therapist, or even simple things like going for a walk or listening to music. The strategies should be individualized for each person.
• Phone numbers for trusted adults and emergency providers.

You or a mental health professional can help them create a mental health crisis plan. They can also help them to learn and practice skills for managing their emotions.

Once a crisis plan has been developed, a copy of the plan should be available for all support staff and the individual to access when needed. This could mean keeping a printed copy in a common area, or even having a version that is able to be saved on a smartphone or tablet for easy access.