As a parent, you worry about your teen. You worry about whether they are getting along with friends at school, you worry about their grades, you worry about their future and what kind of adult they’ll turn out to be. But there’s another worry that often surfaces as they enter their teen years—worry about their mental health.

Adolescence is a tough time for any teen, and it’s normal for them to be moody, have changes in their friendships, and explore different ways of expressing their personality. Knowing this, you still may wonder if teens can even have a mental health crisis? The stats around teen mental health paint a clear picture. Almost half of teens experience intense sadness and hopelessness, around 20% have a mental health condition, and more than 20% of teens have, at one point or another in adolescence, thoughts of suicide.

It’s important if you notice changes in your teen’s mental health, to get them support as soon as possible, and if your teen is in crisis, getting help becomes imperative. There are a few steps to go through to get help for your teen quickly, and we want to walk you through them here.

Signs your child is having a mental health crisis

Knowing how to tell the difference between normal adolescent moodiness and bids for independence from a teen mental health crisis can help you spot changes early, and get help faster. There are distinct signs your teen is experiencing a mental health crisis, including:

• Increased aggression and anger, including physical assault of others
• Self-harm
• Speaking about suicide or feeling worthless, empty
• Hopelessness, numbness, or loss of interest
• Withdrawing from friends and family
• Extreme changes in sleep or eating habits
• Running away from home
• Severe decline in grades
• Hallucinations or disconnection from reality
• Excessive worry and fear, or inability to stop worrying

Steps to getting your teen mental health treatment in a crisis

Step 1: Try to stay calm

If your teen is in crisis, you’re likely scared for their safety. It is an intense, hard experience as a parent to watch your teen change in ways you know are dangerous to their well-being. Feeling helpless and scared can escalate your own feelings, but it is important you stay as calm as possible so you can listen effectively, make clear decisions, and help your teen remain calm as well.

Step 2a: If your teen is in immediate danger, get emergency help

If your teen is already hurt or hurting others or is expressing an intention to hurt themselves or others, calling 911 or bringing them to your local emergency department is your best choice.

Whether you call 911 or head to the ED, let personnel know that your teen is experiencing a mental health crisis, and ask if they have a team specifically set up for children’s mental health care. Your teen will be triaged at the emergency department and then will be asked to explain to a doctor or care team what they’re experiencing.

Emergency services personnel will help keep your teen safe, while you, your teen, and your teen’s doctor work through an evaluation process that will get you answers on what mental health treatment your teen needs the most. Your child may be admitted to receive care immediately, or you may receive an emergency referral to an appropriate teen mental health treatment program.

Step 2b: If your teen is not in immediate danger, get help as soon as possible

If your teen is in crisis but is not in immediate danger of harming themselves or others, do your best to keep them safe and try to encourage them to talk to you. Listen actively, and attentively, so they feel heard.

One option is to contact their pediatrician, or your health insurance company, and ask for help getting your teen mental health treatment. Your teen’s doctor or your health insurance company will likely have resources for you on what teen mental health treatment options are available. Your teen’s doctor may provide a referral and help you contact residential teen treatment centers, so your teen can get help as soon as possible.

Alternatively, you can search for “teen mental health treatment” or “residential teen mental health treatment in Seattle” online to find locations near you, then contact those locations to see what help is available.

Step 3: Find a teen mental health treatment option that fits best

When your teen is in crisis, they may benefit best from a residential teen treatment program as the first step. Residential treatment programs like THIRA Health’s DBT residential treatment program for adolescents allow teens to focus solely on their care, in a space where they have consistent support to help keep them safe and get them started on healing.

If your teen needs or wants to return home after a full day of treatment, a partial hospitalization program (PHP) may be the best choice. PHPs give your teen mental healthcare support during the day, with both group and individual therapy, and holistic therapy options to help them heal more fully, while also allowing them to return to the comfort and familiarity of home at the end of each day. In this way, a PHP program offers a balance between intensive support and routine daily live.

Finally, if your teen is unwilling, unable, or is found to not need the level of commitment and support from a residential or PHP program, an intensive outpatient program (IOP) can offer them a large amount of time set aside for therapy most days of the week, while also allowing your teen to maintain most of their routine. PHPs and IOPs are good choices for teens in crisis who are not in immediate danger, and they also serve as excellent extensions of care after completing a residential program, so your teen feels supported while reintroducing the routine of life after their crisis leaves the acute stage.

Step 4: Work closely with your teen’s treatment team to create a long-term care plan

Your teen will have an established team of therapists and doctors to help them through their crisis, but you will want to work with them to create a long-term care plan, so your teen has extra support. Discussing step-down treatment options like entering an IOP after teen residential mental health treatment, setting up a safety plan for your home, and asking about what you can do in the event of future crises, will set your whole family up for success in navigating this and any possible future mental health issues for your teen.

Step 5: Incorporate your teen’s treatment into your home routines

In DBT treatment programs for adolescents, teen therapy includes family therapy. Your teen will learn new skills and coping mechanisms in their mental health treatment program, and it is up to you and your family to attend therapy sessions with your teen so you can learn and use the same skills with them at home. Ask about how you can be included in their treatment, and what you should do at home to incorporate their new DBT skills to help them thrive.

With these five steps, you can help your teen emerge from their mental health crisis and move onto a path of resilience and well-being. If you’re in need of teen mental health treatment in Seattle, contact THIRA Health today to see how we can help.