Mental Health Emergency Care

Often, the fastest way to access emergency care is by making a direct call to emergency services and asking for them to come to you.

How to start the conversation: I am thinking about ending my life and I can no longer keep myself safe. Can you please send help?

If you're feeling nervous about calling for emergency services, a helpline counsellor can make that call for you so you don't have to do it alone. To request a supported call, reach out to one of the free, 24/7 helplines below.

How to start the conversation: I am thinking about ending my life and I can no longer keep myself safe. I'm feeling nervous about calling for emergency services. Can you please call emergency services for me and stay on the line with me until they arrive?

**Helplines sometimes have wait times to speak with a counsellor. If safety is at imminent risk right now, please call for emergency services directly to prevent delays in care.

If you're in Windsor-Essex, go to:

Tell the Triage Nurse at the front desk: I am thinking about ending my life and I can no longer keep myself safe. 

All three options will result in you accessing emergency care at the hospital. Just like a physical health emergency, anyone experiencing a mental health emergency also receives care in the emergency department. 

While you are at the hospital, you will meet with trained healthcare professionals who will want to know more about how you are feeling and what you are experiencing. While it can be difficult to share information that is so personal and painful, being honest with your healthcare team will help them understand how they can best support you. 

It's normal to feel nervous and it's okay to ask your healthcare team any questions you have about what will happen during your visit. If there is anything that you want them to know about how best to support you or how they can help you feel more comfortable and less afraid, you can tell them this as well. You deserve to be seen, heard, supported, and cared for.

Communicating your needs by using self-advocacy statements that respect both you and your healthcare provider is strong and brave. Self-advocacy statements sound like:

• I'm feeling nervous about...
• I have a fear of...
• Can you please help me...
• It would help me feel more comfortable if you could please....
• Can you tell me more about what that means?
• Can you please tell me what to expect?
• What options are available to me?
• Would it be okay if I take some time to think about that?

If you encounter any challenges in advocating for yourself, you can ask to speak with the hospital's Patient Representative (sometimes called a Patient Advocate) and they can help you problem solve.

Once you have returned from the hospital, please email the University of Windsor's Assessment and Care Team (ACT@uwindsor.ca) to let our Student Care Case Manager know that you have accessed emergency help. We care about you and we want to make sure you have the support that you need. If the University is aware that you have received emergency mental health care, the Student Care Case Manager may also reach out to you to provide follow-up support.

If you need someone to talk to immediately, you can reach out to one of the 24/7 helplines found here. Be sure to still email the Student Care Case Manager so she can follow up with you.

If you live in Residence, please also let your Resident Assistant (RA) know that you are back on campus and that you have received emergency mental health care at the hospital so they can make sure you have the support you need in Residence.