What To Do During a Mental Health Crisis (Without Calling the Police)

If you or someone you love is experiencing a mental health crisis, like, right fucking now, pause and at least take a breath. Remember that you had the foresight to get online, so that’s something. You aren’t too far gone, and they aren’t beyond help. And no one will

You are not broken. You’re not “too much.”
You’re having a real, human reaction to overwhelming circumstances.

Crisis doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you need and deserve care, safety, and support—right now.

Immediate Safety Steps

If you are in immediate danger of harming yourself or others, or if you are experiencing a medical emergency:

• Prioritize your physical safety.
  Find a safe space—this could mean stepping outside, getting to a trusted person’s home, or creating distance between yourself and any means of harm.

• Reach out to someone you trust.
  This could be a friend, family member, neighbor, or another person who knows you and can sit with you through this moment.

• If you want support but want to avoid police involvement as much as possible, keep reading for community-centered crisis support options.*

Crisis Support Without Police Involvement (As Much As Possible)

For many people—especially Black, Brown, Indigenous, queer, trans, disabled, and neurodivergent folks—calling 911 during a mental health crisis feels unsafe, even dangerous.

Here are a few alternatives to 911 that prioritize non-carceral, peer-based, community-driven care:

• Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860

  Peer support by and for trans people.
  No non-consensual active rescue (they won’t call police or emergency services without your consent).

• Call BlackLine: 1-800-604-5841

  Crisis support and listening line serving Black, Brown, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized communities.
  Focuses on community support without law enforcement involvement.

• Warmline Directory:

  A nationwide directory of peer-run warmlines for emotional support.
  Good for when you need to talk to someone but aren’t in immediate danger.

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988

  Widely available and free. [Important note: While 988 counselors are trained, they may still contact emergency services if they assess an “imminent risk”—sometimes without your consent.]

• dontcallthepolice.com:

  Online directory created in June 2020 to help individuals and communities find local, non-police alternatives for crisis support.

Things to Know Before Calling a Crisis Line

If you choose to call a crisis hotline (including 911 or 988), you have the right to ask:

• Is this call being recorded?

• Will you send police, EMS, or other responders to my location?

• Can I speak anonymously?

• Can we problem-solve together without triggering a wellness check?

If you’re contacting support for someone else:

Pause first and ask yourself:

• Will this call increase or decrease their safety?

• Do they want this help?

• Is there another way I can support them without police or hospitalization?

For those committed to abolitionist mental health care, it’s critical that crisis response does not become another site of harm.

Understanding the Impact of Carceral Crisis Response on Mental Health

It’s important to name that many people experience real and lasting trauma as a result of traditional, carceral approaches to mental health crisis care. This isn’t just anecdotal. Both research and lived experience consistently show that involuntary hospitalization, police involvement during mental health calls, the use of restraints, and forced medication are associated with serious psychological harm, especially for people with histories of trauma, marginalized identities, or prior experiences of systemic violence.

Studies have found that involuntary psychiatric interventions are linked to increased symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), heightened distrust in mental health services, and long-term avoidance of future care (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014; Muir-Cochrane et al., 2012).

For Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, disabled people, and those with prior criminalization, these risks are compounded by well-documented patterns of racial profiling, disproportionate use of force, and systemic bias in both law enforcement and mental health settings (Watson et al., 2008; National Disability Rights Network, 2021).

If you’ve been harmed by these systems, your fear, hesitation, or outright refusal to engage with traditional crisis response is valid and evidence-based—not an overreaction.

This is why many therapists—including myself—prioritize non-carceral, consent-based crisis and safety planning with clients. The goal isn’t just to avoid worst-case scenarios, but to actively build care plans that center autonomy, dignity, and choice, while minimizing the risk of retraumatization.

And if part of your healing right now involves processing past harm from these systems—whether that’s police involvement, forced hospitalization, or being subjected to coercive care—we can hold space for that too, in ways that honor your agency moving forward.

For My Current Clients: About My Crisis Availability

I’m Kelley Walters, LPC, a therapist practicing in Houston and the founder of Unapologetically Well. My work is rooted in anti-carceral, abolitionist, and trauma-informed values. That means I care deeply about your safety and autonomy—but I also want to be clear about my limits:

Unapologetically Well is not a 24/7 crisis response service.

I check messages during business hours, but I may not be immediately reachable during a crisis. If you are my client and you’re experiencing a crisis outside of our scheduled sessions, please use one of the resources listed above to get immediate support.

When we meet next, we’ll process what happened and work together to build more support structures that align with your needs and your available resources.

Planning Ahead: Creating Your Personal Crisis Plan

If you want, we can create a Personal Crisis Plan (NOT a safety contract!) together in therapy. This can help you (and your loved ones) navigate future crisis moments with more clarity and control.

A typical plan might include:

• Recognizing your early warning signs

• Listing who you want (or don’t want) involved during a crisis

• Outlining community-based support options near you

• Setting boundaries around involuntary hospitalization

• Writing clear, values-aligned crisis instructions for your support network

This work is especially important for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and neurodivergent & disabled folks, who often face disproportionate risk when interacting with traditional crisis response systems.

Community-Based Resources for Prevention and Support Before Crisis

While crisis moments can feel sudden, many happen after long periods of unmet needs, isolation, or lack of access to community care. Prevention isn’t just about avoiding crisis—it’s about building support systems that honor your mental health before things reach a breaking point.

Here are some preventative, community-centered resources that can help you (or someone you love) access education, connection, and ongoing support:

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) offers free education programs, support groups, and advocacy resources for people living with mental health conditions and their families. While NAMI is a large national organization with local chapters, many of their programs (like peer-led support groups and educational classes) are grounded in reducing isolation and promoting self-advocacy, with a focus on lived experience.

While NAMI has historically worked alongside mainstream mental health systems, many people use NAMI as a preventative tool to build support networks, learn coping strategies, and reduce the likelihood of future crises.

Additional Preventative Resources Could Include (Customize for Your Site):

• Peer Support Groups (For example: Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, or identity-based groups like LGBTQ+ peer support circles)

• Mutual Aid Networks (Local organizations offering emotional and material support outside of traditional systems)

• Crisis Prevention Education (Workshops on coping skills, trauma responses, and community accountability)

• Sliding-Scale Therapy Clinics (For ongoing care if private therapy feels financially out of reach)

• Local Warm Lines (Non-crisis, peer-run phone lines for emotional support)

Most of us don’t think about crisis planning until we’re already knee-deep in one. That’s not a personal failing. It’s a reflection of how little our systems prioritize ongoing, community-based care.

But here’s the thing: Building support before you’re in crisis isn’t about “fixing yourself” or “being more resilient.” It’s about making sure you have people and resources in your corner when the hard days hit without having to default to systems that can cause more harm.

For some folks, that means joining a peer support group. For others, it’s about learning what your early warning signs even look like. And sometimes, it’s just about having one number saved in your phone that isn’t 911.

When we ignore mental health—or let stigma convince us that struggle is something to hide—we’re basically setting the stage for a crisis. Avoiding the conversation doesn’t make the feelings go away; it just pushes them underground until they get loud enough to demand attention in ways that feel overwhelming or unsafe. Early action isn’t about dramatizing what you’re going through—it’s about giving yourself a chance to get support before things hit a breaking point. Naming what’s hard now makes it easier to get help that actually works, before crisis becomes the only option left on the table. Prevention is care. It’s community safety. It’s you saying: I get to feel how I feel and still deserve support that aligns with my values.

You Deserve Care, Not Surveillance or Punishment

Your pain is real.
Your feelings are valid.
Your survival is an act of resistance in a system that too often criminalizes distress—especially for Black, Brown, Indigenous, disabled, queer, and trans people.

You deserve support that centers your humanity, your autonomy, and your right to exist without fear.

If you need immediate care, choose the most affirming, least harmful option available to you in this moment.

If you want to build a future where crisis doesn’t feel like the end of the road: That’s work we can do together—in a space rooted in dignity, consent, and collective care.

You belong here.
You’re worth protecting.
We’re imagining something better, and you’re part of it.

*I want to be clear: This page is not saying you should never call 911. There are situations where immediate emergency response is necessary, such as a psychotic break resulting in violent behavior, and if you or someone else is in life-threatening danger and/or no other options are available, calling 911 may be the best and only choice in that moment. My goal here is to offer alternatives where possible—especially for people who have valid reasons to fear police involvement during a mental health crisis. Your safety comes first, always.

• Sources & Further Reading

  1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2014).
  SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach.
  https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/sma14-4816.pdf

  2. Muir-Cochrane, E., Oster, C., Grotto, J., Gerace, A., & Jones, J. (2012).
  The distress experienced by psychiatric patients during restraint episodes: Findings from a large qualitative study.
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22998505/

  3. Watson, A. C., Corrigan, P., & Ottati, V. (2008).
  Police officers’ attitudes toward and decisions about persons with mental illness.
  https://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/ps.2008.59.10.1237

  4. National Disability Rights Network (NDRN). (2021).
  Mental Health Crisis Response: Desperation Without Dignity.
  https://www.ndrn.org/resource/mental-health-crisis-response/