Keeping the Calm During the Storm
There is no typical day for Marae Martin, crisis team manager for Butler Behavioral Health Services and featured speaker at our September Education Meeting. Martin's Crisis Response Team primarily responds to callers reporting a loved one, friend or even neighbor who may be at risk of harm to themselves or others. A call is typically followed with a visit by the Mobile Crisis Response Team. Martin's primary focus upon arrival on the scene is to make an assessment of the individual in crisis and ascertain the best way to help. Martin is quick to point out that the team does not show up in a mobile crisis unit as many believe, but simply arrives by car. She, or a team member, is accompanied by a local police officer, or sheriff's deputy, for the safety of everyone involved. The law enforcement agencies are not there to make an arrest but to assist if needed.
Martin has learned not to dismiss any call. She recalls a recent mom who called to report that she couldn't get her teenage son out of bed to go to high school. Any parents with teens know how difficult it can be to get them up and out the door but Martin knew it's not always about something that simple. As Martin questions the caller she learns that the teen is in the midst of a painful break-up with his girlfriend and has had suicidal thoughts in the past. Says Martin; "You always err on the side of caution."
At times a crisis call will result in a trip to a hospital, for further evaluation. Martin or a team member will meet the ambulance at the hospital and file a report. The hospital's staff social worker and psychiatrist will determine if there will be an admission. At times when the crisis team may be occupied with other calls, Martin advises calling the police directly and letting them know you're calling about someone with a mental illness.
Tips for Handling a Crisis:
- Keep calm. Talk in a low voice. If you react with anger or panic the person in crisis will most likely get worse.
- Provide personal space; don't block the person or get in their face.
- "Don't try to touch or 'lovey dovey'" them, recommends Martin, unless they reach out to you first.
- Have just one person talk at a time; don't "gang up" on the person.
- If you are questioning whether or not you should call the crisis unit, give them a call.
When your loved one is suicidal . . . . .
Brigette Boiano, co-chair and board member for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, AFSP, Cincinnati Chapter, knows firsthand what it's like to lose a loved one to suicide. Boiano was our July speaker and shared some warning signs of suicide:
- Having a plan to kill oneself
- Feelings of hopelessness or no purpose
- Talking about being trapped, a burden on others or in unbearable pain
- Withdrawing or isolating oneself from others
- Rage, extreme mood swings or talking about revenge
- Giving away possessions
- Talking or writing about death dying or suicide
- Past attempt
Steps to take if you suspect suicide ideation:
- Don't leave the person alone; let them know you care
- Remove access to firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects
- Don't attempt to argue with them
- Don't be afraid to ask if he or she is thinking about suicide and has a plan in mind
- Take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a professional
24 Hour Crisis Hotlines:
Oxford/Hamilton: (513) 523-4146
Fairfield/West Chester: (513) 894-7002
Middletown: (513) 424-5498
National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
CDC Update: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in September that almost 50 percent of U.S. adults will develop at least one mental illness during their lifetime. For more information: http://cdc.gov/mentalhealthsurveillance/
