If you or a loved one is in immediate danger of harming themselves or others, it may be necessary to call 911 or head to your nearest emergency room. Emergency services are not always safe options for the Black community so here are a few tips to minimize unnecessary harm:

• Inform the 911 operator that this is a psychiatric emergency.
• Ask for police officers and first responders trained in crisis intervention or trained to support people and families experiencing a psychiatric emergency.

Warm lines are created to support people on a temporary or short term basis (not therapy) who just need someone to talk to and listen to what they’re going through. Warm lines are not emergency services or crisis lines, and can be useful when you need someone to talk to but don’t have an available community to lean on.