Before You Leave the Hospital
You have the right to ask the doctor or other health care worker for written information about your child’s diagnosis and ideas for next steps.
Release from the emergency department
Based on the evaluation of your child, you may be given several recommendations. Your child may be cleared to go home, transferred to an inpatient or residential treatment setting, or referred into a community-based program to help make a plan for long-term treatment. If you are home and didn’t receive answers to all the questions below, it’s not too late to contact the emergency department staff and ask them.
- You have the right to ask the doctor or other health care worker for written information about your child’s diagnosis and ideas for next steps.
- You also have the right to ask for a second opinion and to read the hospital’s discharge or release policies.
- The emergency department is often overwhelming and there me be a lot of new information.
- It is okay to ask questions if you don’t understand or you don’t agree with what is being planned.
Questions to ask the emergency department person who does the assessment:
- For the doctor or nurse: When can I expect a psychiatrist or behavioral health professional to do a mental health assessment of my child?
- Has my child signed a release of information form for the provider to talk to others (primary physician, other providers, school, etc.)?
- Have you performed a full suicide risk assessment? What were the results?
- What are the possible underlying reasons (diagnoses) and possible options for treatment?
- Will my child be admitted to a hospital or psychiatric bed? What type of ongoing care is needed?
- Will my child need any medications? How long will my child need to take it?
- Should I carry naloxone to use with an opioid overdose? How do I use it? Where can I get it?
- Do you have referrals for specific professionals?
- What should I do to make sure my child is safe? Are there warning signs I should look for to prevent a suicide attempt?
- What should I do in the event of another crisis or if I feel like another crisis is building? Who should I contact?
- How do I interact with my child moving forward? Are there questions I should ask my child?
- Is there a family support specialist in the area? If so, have they been contacted to assist my family? How can I get in touch with one?
- What supports or services are available if we have to wait for treatment?
Family Support Specialists have experience raising a child with behavioral health challenges and are trained and certified to help other families navigate systems and advocate for themselves. In some areas of the state there are also Youth Support Specialists available who are trained, certified and have experience. They can walk with your child through their recovery. Ask your child’s provider or a Family Support Specialist about contacting a Youth Support Specialist in your area.
Going Home
If you are going home, you should receive a written plan with information about after-care, safety and finding and setting up follow-up services.
- A safety plan with the person who did the mental health assessment, your child, and yourself or another caregiver. Make sure it has phone numbers for you or your child to call if you have questions or concerns.
- Safety precautions – especially how to make a plan to lock up, remove or make safe anything that could be used in a suicide attempt. This includes guns, medications, drugs, alcohol, rope, chemicals, etc.
- Information on taking care of your loved one after an attempt.
- A set follow-up appointment within the next week. This may be with an outpatient therapist or with a community-based team, if available.
- Prescriptions for any medications – Be sure the first prescription is filled before you leave the hospital or immediately after. Also, make sure you understand what the medications are for and any possible side effects that may need immediate attention.
- Connections to peer support or other community-based support – This may include a family support specialist for you or a youth support specialist for your child.
Be Sure You Can Answer the Following Questions Before Leaving the Hospital
- How do I act with my child once we are home? What should I say or do?
- What warning signs should I look for?
- What do I do if I think my child is becoming unsafe?
- What is the plan for what my child will do or say if they feel unsafe?
- Who does my child want to involve in next steps?
SEE THE SAFETY PLAN SECTION FOR MORE INFORMATION
If your child is held in the emergency department for more than 24-hours waiting for a bed to become available, contact the Child and Family Behavioral Health Unit at the Oregon Health Authority, 503-957-9863
If you say you are not taking your child home due to safety concerns, Child Protective Services (CPS) may be called if this happens do your best to stay calm. Child Protective services does not want to take custody of a child when someone can care for them. Ask the CPS staff to help you negotiate a safety plan with the emergency department staff and/or request a Family Support Specialist who can help you work through next steps.
FAQs
When I take my child to the ED in a mental health crisis,
will they be admitted to the hospital?
Not always. Many children and youth who go to the Emergency Department (ED) for mental health care are not admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
The Emergency Department team will:
- Check for medical emergencies
- Ask about safety, thoughts of self-harm, or harm to others
- Decide if your child can go home safely with supports, or if a higher level of care is needed
In Oregon, admission usually happens only if there is an immediate safety risk and no safe plan for going home. Long waits for psychiatric beds are common and not your fault.
Will insurance cover a mental health emergency visit?
In Oregon, most insurance plans, including Oregon Health Plan (OHP), cover emergency mental health care.
Coverage can vary, but emergency evaluations are generally covered. you can ask the hospital billing office or social worker for help understanding costs.
Is there anything I should bring to the Emergency
Department for a mental health crisis?
If you can, bring:
- Medication list
- Insurance card
- Comfort items for your child/youth
- Phone charger
- Notes about recent behaviors or concerns
If you forget things, that is okay. Your child can still be seen.
If they keep my child overnight in the ED, do I have to
stay with them?
Often, hospitals prefer a parent or caregiver to stay, but this depends on the hospital and the situation. If you cannot stay:
- Ask what options are available
- Ask how your child will be supervised
- Ask who to call overnight if there are concerns
If staying is unsafe or impossible for you, say so.
What can I do to stay calm while we’re in the Emergency Department?
it is understandable that being in the Emergency Room with your child is hard. To help yourself stay calm try:
- Slow breathing (in for 4, out for 6)
- Stepping outside, if allowed.
- Asking staff to explain what happens next in clear and plain language.
- Calling a trusted person or 988 for support.
- Asking for a family support specialist
You deserve care too.