Youth Emergency Services: Total Community Effort, a Multisystem Approach

A collaborative mental health care service for responding to the psychiatric emergencies of children under 17 years & their families is described. During the 1st 13 months, 65% of calls were suicide related, & of these, 34% were for children 12 years & under. A mobile crisis unit prevented approximately 250 emergency room visits & out-of-home placements. Five case vignettes are included.