Your kid hasn’t left their room in three days. They might be saying things that scare you. The behavior you’re seeing isn’t just teenage drama anymore; something’s really wrong.
When your child hits a mental health crisis, you need a plan, not panic.
Know What You’re Actually Dealing With
Bad moods happen. Rough patches are normal. But a crisis is different. Watch for:
- Talking about wanting to die or disappear
- Hurting themselves or threatening to hurt others
- Acting completely disconnected from what’s real
- Hearing things or believing things that don’t make sense
- Self-harm that continues to occur either through cutting, burning, or otherwise
- Stopped eating, sleeping, or basic self-care for multiple days
If your stomach is telling you this is serious, listen to it. Parents usually know when something crosses a line.
Step One: Keep Them Safe
Everything else waits until you know your child isn’t in immediate danger. That means:
- Get rid of anything sharp, pills, ropes, or anything they could use
- Don’t leave them by themselves
- Dial 911 if they’re actively trying to hurt themselves
- Head to the ER if you can’t manage the situation at home
Nobody’s going to judge you for being cautious. ERs handle these situations constantly, and the staff won’t make you feel stupid for coming in.
Restoration Children Facilities Can Help
Your pediatrician is fine for strep throat. Crises need specialists who work with kids in serious emotional trouble every day.
Restoration Children Facilities has two Mississippi locations, Belzoni and Gulfport, focused entirely on youth mental health.
We handle crises for kids 12 to 18, dealing with everything from PTSD to bipolar disorder to severe depression.
Lamarlon Wilson runs the place as Executive Director, and our team knows how to talk teenagers down from the edge.
Call us directly. Explain what’s happening. We’ve heard worse, and we’ll tell you exactly what to do next.
Related: What Happens During a Mental Health Crisis Stabilization?
Here’s How Crisis Help Actually Works
When you connect with a crisis team, we’ll jump in fast. Expect us to:
- Figure out how serious things are right now
- Talk with your kid using language that actually connects
- Map out how to keep everyone safe for the next couple days
- Decide if your child needs to stay somewhere or can go home with support
- Set up whatever comes after this initial emergency
Restoration’s Partial Hospitalization Program gives kids intensive daily treatment without admitting them overnight.
Therapy, psychiatric care, medication checks, all of it happens during the day, then your kid comes home. For a lot of families, that balance works better than full hospitalization.
What Your Kid Needs From You
The professionals handle the clinical piece. Your job is different but just as important. Show up for your child by:
- Keeping your own fear under control when you’re with them
- Hearing them out without jumping straight to solutions
- Skipping the “it could be worse” or “just cheer up” comments
- Letting them feel what they feel without shutting it down
- Talking straight, no therapy speak or walking on eggshells
You can still say no to dangerous stuff. Boundaries matter. But your kid needs to sense that you’re solid, not freaking out or angry.
What Comes After Things Calm Down
Getting through the crisis is just the beginning. Real healing takes ongoing work. We offer programs that keep families moving forward:
- Case managers who coordinate everything your child needs
- School support so grades don’t tank during treatment
- Med checks to adjust prescriptions as things change
- Programs for kids who got kicked out or suspended from school
CEO Joann Wilson and our team have worked with hundreds of families navigating depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and trauma. We’ve seen kids come back from places that looked hopeless.
This Isn’t Your Fault
You’re probably beating yourself up right now, wondering what you missed or did wrong. Stop. Mental health crises hit good families with solid parents all the time.
Genetics, brain chemistry, past trauma, current stress, there are a million factors you can’t control.
What you can control is picking up the phone. Restoration Children Facilities built our whole organization around helping families in exactly your situation.
Nothing you’re dealing with is too messy or too complicated for us.
Make the Call Today
If your child’s in trouble, waiting makes everything harder.
Contact us now, we’ve got offices in Belzoni at 994 Bankhead Drive and Gulfport at 12266 Ashley Drive.
Tell us what’s going on.
We’ll walk you through what happens next and build a plan that fits your family.
Crises feel permanent when you’re in them. But with the right team, kids stabilize. Families find their footing again. Things genuinely get better.
Reach out. Let us help.
FAQs
Will calling for help mean my kid gets locked up somewhere?
Not automatically. Our day programs provide serious treatment while your child stays home. Every case gets evaluated individually.
My kid won’t talk to anyone. What then?
Crisis specialists deal with resistant teenagers constantly. We’ve got specific techniques for getting through to kids who’ve shut down.
How fast can someone actually see us?
Crisis services move quickly. Call our offices right away, and we’ll coordinate urgent care based on what your child needs.
