January 2022
The Movement for Alternative Mental Health Crisis Response
By: Emily T. Wood, MD, PhD
What is Alternative Crisis Response? A mental health or behavioral crisis is a period during which a person or family experiences emotional distress that could lead to reactive, dangerous behaviors. While the presence of danger to self or others is often the technically qualifying crisis attribute, DTS/DTO usually occurs at the climax of a crisis episode that may have involved catastrophic life events, intense distress, and severe dysfunction. These occurrences are in and of themselves traumatic and life altering. Children and adults with serious mental illness (SMI) or emotional disorders often find themselves in a state of recurrent, significant crises. All individuals can find themselves in a mental health crisis upon experiencing a series of unfortunate but all too common events (e.g. poverty, homelessness, contact with law enforcement, discrimination) without adequate supports.
Please read Dr. Wood's complete article beginning on Page 8
