If your child or teen is struggling, a clear crisis contact list can reduce confusion and help you act quickly. Get practical, parent-focused guidance for choosing the right people, numbers, and backup contacts for a safety plan.
Answer a few questions to get personalized guidance on creating or strengthening emergency contacts for your child’s self-harm or mental health crisis plan.
In a high-stress moment, even caring parents can lose time deciding who to call first. A written emergency contact plan for self-harm or suicidal crisis helps you move step by step: who to contact immediately, who can help in person, which professionals already know your child, and when to call emergency services or 988. A strong list is not just a phone directory. It is a practical part of a safety plan that helps your family respond faster, communicate clearly, and avoid relying on memory during a crisis.
List the first numbers to use when your teen may be at risk, including 988, local emergency services, and any crisis resources your family has been told to use.
Include parents, guardians, relatives, neighbors, or family friends who can stay with your child, help supervise, or assist with transportation and support.
Add your child’s therapist, psychiatrist, pediatrician, school counselor, or other professionals who should be informed or contacted as part of the plan.
Do not make yourself sort through names in the moment. Mark who to call first, second, and third based on urgency and availability.
If one person does not answer, the plan should still work. Include alternate adults, after-hours numbers, and more than one way to reach key supports.
Store the list in your phone, print a copy at home, and share it with any caregiver who may need to use it during a mental health crisis.
The right response depends on the level of immediate danger. If your child has a life-threatening injury, has taken an overdose, has a weapon, cannot stay safe, or is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. If your child is in emotional crisis and you need urgent support, call or text 988 in the U.S. for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If the situation is serious but not immediately life-threatening, your written plan may also include your child’s therapist, psychiatrist, pediatrician, mobile crisis team, or another trusted adult who can help you stabilize the situation and decide next steps.
A plan is more reliable when it includes multiple adults who can step in if one caregiver is unavailable, driving, at work, or overwhelmed.
Many families list daytime providers but forget evenings, weekends, and school breaks, when crises often feel harder to manage.
A name and number may not be enough. Add short notes like therapist, aunt nearby, school counselor, or can pick up from school to make decisions faster.
Most parents should include 988, 911 for immediate danger, the nearest emergency room, parents or guardians, at least one backup adult, and any relevant mental health or medical providers such as a therapist, psychiatrist, or pediatrician. School supports may also be helpful.
Call or text 988 for urgent emotional or suicidal crisis support when you need immediate guidance and your child is not in a life-threatening medical emergency. Call 911 if there is immediate danger, a serious injury, overdose, weapon, loss of consciousness, or you cannot keep your child safe right now.
Review it regularly and update it whenever providers change, phone numbers change, school contacts change, or your child’s risk level or support needs shift. Many families find it helpful to check the list monthly or at each therapy or care-plan review.
Often, yes. If appropriate, involving your teen can improve trust and make the plan more realistic. Parents still need to make sure the list includes adults and professionals who can act quickly and safely in a crisis.
Answer a few questions to get personalized guidance on building a practical crisis contact list for your child or teen, including who to include, what details to add, and where gaps may put the plan at risk.
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