Addressing Concerns

If you or a loved one are:

• Having thoughts of hurting yourself,

having thoughts of harming someone else, experiencing feelings of agitation or feeling aggressive • Experiencing severe side effects, such as trouble breathing, racing heart, seizures, severe rash, trouble shallowing, high fever or extreme confusion

THEN…

Call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency

department. When calling 9-1-1, be sure

to request a Crisis Intervention Team

(CIT) offi cer. CIT offi cers are specially trained to respond to mental health emergencies.

Additional resources:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:

1.800.273.8255

National Helpline

1.800.662.HELP (4357)

Crisis Text Line

Text HOME to 741741 about any type of crisis from anywhere in the U.S. 24/7

If you or a loved one are:

• Having side effects, such as involuntary movements, restlessness and the inability to sit still, dizziness, nausea or vomiting

-OR-

• Experiencing symptoms, such as hearing voices or seeing things that others do not hear or see, having a hard time paying attention or thinking or speaking in a disorganized way

THEN…

Call the community LINC team. Issues like medication side effects and persistent symptoms are serious concerns and deserving of prompt but not emergencylevel attention. Your community LINC team will often be better-suited to fully address these concerns. We do not want side effects or symptoms to get in the way of recovery, so be sure to discuss any concerns and options with the community psychiatrist, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner.

Community agency: Phone number:

What to Expect

The hospital team will schedule appointments for you and your loved ones to attend after leaving

the hospital. Working with the LINC team and engaging loved ones are also important components for physical and mental health and wellness.

How to Help

Be prepared. Keep (or, if necessary, reschedule) appointments, and bring a photo ID, a list of all medications and any insurance information to appointments.

Individuals who do not keep their fi rst mental health appointment

after leaving the hospital are 2X

more likely to return to the hospital within the year

Provide practical help. Loved ones can help by providing reminders about appointments, assisting with transportation to appointments, providing child care during appointments, helping to write down questions to discuss with the community LINC team and accompanying individuals to appointments.