All too often these days, it feels as though mental healthcare is being left behind. We all face challenges, and when those challenges seem insurmountable, the oppressive atmosphere can seem unbeatable.

There’s help available. You just need to learn where to find it.

DISCLAIMER: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered medical or psychological advice. The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any mental health condition or replace professional therapeutic care. Every individual's experience with trauma and mental health is unique. Please consult with a qualified mental health professional, therapist, or healthcare provider to determine the most appropriate treatment approach for your specific situation. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or emergency, please contact your local emergency services or crisis hotline immediately.

Experiencing a Crisis?

If you’re currently experiencing a crisis, please call 988.

988 is 911 for mental health; a nationwide hotline connecting to Lifeline networks, with 24/7 availability. In Michigan, you’ll reach MiCAL, the Michigan Crisis and Access Line. They can help you, whether it’s keeping you talking until help can arrive or connecting you with the resources you need. It’s fast, free, and reliable assistance for those in need.

You can also reach out to their live chat here. If you aren’t able to or don’t want to use a phone, text chat is available online or by texting 988 as well.

Help is available.

Can You Go to the ER for Mental Health Events in Detroit?

If you’ve reached this page because of an immediate crisis, and you’re wondering if you can go to the emergency room for mental rather than physical health needs, the answer is yes. If you can’t call or otherwise reach out to 988, or you want more immediate and in-person care, the emergency room is available.

While the emergency room might not always be the best option, it’s an option that is always available if you need it. If nothing else, professionals in an emergency room can guide you to more appropriate resources after addressing any immediate concerns.

Additionally, if your mental health event has proceeded to physical harm (such as self-harm or substance use), the emergency room is the appropriate place to go.

Emergency rooms can and routinely do handle all manner of mental health issues, including:

• Aggression
• Confusion
• Delusions
• Mania
• Paranoia
• OCD reaching dangerous levels
• Severe insomnia
• Hallucinations
• Severe mental health side effects from medications

So, don’t feel like you would be out of place or that your issues aren’t “bad enough” to visit the emergency room. An emergency is an emergency, even if other emergencies are worse.

What Can the Emergency Room Do for You During a Mental Health Event?

When you go to an emergency room, the first thing that will happen is you’ll be asked the reason for your visit, as well as some screening questions. You’ll be asked for some personal information to check if you’re already in their system and attach the appropriate records to your visit, and if relevant, you’ll be asked for insurance information.

Tip: When you’re asked your screening questions, it’s important to be honest. Don’t minimize your issues; speak plainly and as openly as you can. The emergency room needs to know your current state so they can properly prioritize your care.

This is part of a process known as triage. Emergency rooms see all manner of issues, from moderate mental health crises to broken bones to gunshot wounds to sudden cardiac events. With a limited number of practitioners available and a limited number of beds and rooms for patients, they have to prioritize.

While it can feel bad to wait for hours to be seen, it’s important that an emergency room handles people in immediate, life-threatening states as soon as possible, and works down the list from there. If you stick it out, you will be seen, and you will get the care you need.

When you visit an emergency room, be prepared for a wait. It’s fine to bring something to occupy yourself, whether it’s a phone, a book, earphones and music, or something else. You can also feel free to wear whatever clothing is comfortable for you.

When you are called in and brought in for evaluation, you will be seen by a practitioner of the emergency room who can help evaluate the appropriate next steps. Sometimes, they can give you medications to address the current, acute issues. Sometimes, they can admit you for longer-term care. Sometimes they can help you find where you need to go next.

They can also connect you with hospital-affiliated social workers, who can further refer you to relevant resources like support groups or free mental health services in the Detroit area.

You will usually be presented with a treatment plan before being discharged. This could involve more inpatient care, referrals to counseling or therapy, or a prescription for a medication. If you’re already in the process of receiving treatment, information can be referred to your primary care physician or current therapist for adjustments to your existing treatment plan.

Critically, no matter who you are, what your mental health event is, or what your current treatment plan may be, the emergency room will provide what help it can.

Are There Downsides to Going to the ER for Mental Health Events?

Unfortunately, the emergency room isn’t always the best option; it’s just one that is guaranteed to be available and at least somewhat effective. The downsides are unfortunately prevalent. It’s worth remembering, though, that even an option with downsides is still a valid option, and better than nothing.

By far the biggest downside of the emergency room for a mental health event is the wait times. Emergency rooms have to handle a lot of patients every day, and by definition, it’s all emergencies. If your life isn’t imminently threatened, you’ll be behind the people whose lives are in danger in the queue.

Another potential downside is a lack of training on how to address an acute mental health issue in the emergency room. The good news is, Detroit’s emergency care facilities are above-average when it comes to knowing what to do with mental health. There are also a few non-medical ER options as well, which we’ll discuss in a moment.

There are also some negative perceptions about the emergency room when it comes to mental health. Statements like:

• “They’re too cold and clinical.”
• “They treat you like you’re a crazy person.”
• “They won’t know what to do and will just throw meds at you.”

While these stereotypes exist because of some basis in reality, they aren’t very true, especially now, as more and more attention is being paid towards mental healthcare. And, again, Detroit’s ERs tend to be somewhat above-average for mental health because of a significant awareness of mental health challenges and treatment throughout the city.

Will I Be Committed if I Visit the ER for a Mental Health Event?

This is another common misconception about the emergency room: the idea that, if you go to the ER with a mental health crisis, they’ll “lock you up in a padded room.”

Generally speaking, no, you won’t be committed if you visit the emergency room. You may be admitted to the hospital, but it’s very rare that an individual is committed involuntarily these days. Still, it’s worth talking about, if for no other reason than to remove the stigma around committed care.

When you visit the emergency room for a mental health crisis, there will be one of three outcomes.

The first is treatment and discharge. This is what happens when you see a practitioner in the emergency room: they address your immediate needs, they give you a set of next steps to take, and they leave you to go on your way. Your stay in the ER may be a few hours, but it won’t be overnight.

The second is admission. When you are admitted to the hospital, the physicians determine that you need more care than one momentary visit can provide. They transition you to a more stable room outside of the emergency room and in the hospital proper. This is most appropriate for issues that have a longer duration, but which are still temporary.

For example, if you overdosed on medications or if you were starting a new psychiatric medication and the side effects hit you hard, you can be admitted to the hospital while you recover. During that time, you will be seen by practitioners who are better trained to address your specific problems than the triage practitioners in the ER itself.

Being admitted to a hospital is not an involuntary process, nor is it holding you against your will. While walking out can be considered AMA, or Against Medical Advice, and it can jeopardize certain care down the line, you aren’t being held against your will.

The third possibility is commitment, and it’s rare these days. Commitment requires a physician or a court to sign off on it, and has steep requirements.

• You must be a threat to yourself or others based on past actions or credible threats; or
• You must be unable to care for your own basic physical needs due to mental illness; or
• You must be unable to understand the need for help while being a danger to yourself due to impaired judgment.

In other words, being involuntarily committed requires you to be in a situation where leaving you on your own could be hazardous to your life or the lives of others. The bar is high, and it’s rarely used.

To put things into perspective, Henry Ford’s emergency department sees around 200-250 people per day. Of those, around 2-3 percent (so, 4-8 people, give or take) are there for mental health treatment. Less than half of those are recommended for inpatient care. It is very unlikely for them to try to hold you against your will; just like you, they don’t want to either.

Are There Alternatives to the Emergency Room for Mental Health Events?

Fortunately, yes.

Michigan has a network of drop-in mental health centers that provide emergency mental healthcare to residents of the area. The state publishes and maintains a list of these centers here.

In the Detroit area, options include:

• North East Drop-In, located in Hamtramck at 4301 McNichols Road.
• Our Place, located in Lincoln Park at 1742 Fort Street.
• Our Place Drop-In, located in Redford at 24425 Plymouth Road.
• Detroit Living Room, located in Detroit proper at 2870 E. Grand Blvd.
• Go Getters, located in Detroit at 2640 W. Vernor.
• Comfort Zone Unlimited, located in Novi at 39575 W. 10 Mile.
• Friends Assisting in Recovery, located in Pontiac at 484 Auburn Road.
• North Oakland Drop-In, located in Holly at 408 S. Saginaw.
• Peer Choices, located in Waterford at 1105 Telegraph Road.
• South Oakland Drop-In, located in Oak Park at 12718 W. Nine Mile.
• Liberties North, located in Clinton Township at 22754 Macomb Industrial Drive.
• Liberties South, located in Roseville at 26345 Gratiot Avenue.

There are also mobile mental health units that operate like treatment centers on wheels, which can come to you if you’re in a crisis and can’t visit an emergency room yourself.

• Hegira Health Mobile Crisis Stabilization
• DWIHN Mobile Crisis Stabilization
• Macomb County Crisis Services
• Other mobile and crisis resources throughout the state.

For a more emergency-room-like experience, there is also the specialized Psychiatric Care Team at Wayne Health in the Detroit Receiving Hospital’s emergency department, as well as emergency mental health services at Henry Ford.

If your mental health event doesn’t constitute a crisis and isn’t an immediate danger to yourself or others, you can also consider calling a warmline. Warmlines like these are like lower-stakes versions of 988, often specialized for specific groups. Options include the Veterans Crisis Line, the LGBTQ+ youth line, the alliance for eating disorders line, the national disasters distress helpline, and NAMI’s warmlines list.

How Can BMC-Troy Help?

Here at BMC-Troy, we aren’t an emergency service provider, but once you’ve gotten past the immediate crisis, you can reach out to us.

Whether you need individual counseling, specific therapy, EMDR, or medication management, our specialists and practitioners are available, and we’re accepting new patients. You can call us at (248) 528-9000, or fill out the new patient form directly, and we’ll reach out.