5. Staying Safe and Managing Crises

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Emergency situations


Sometimes there is nothing you can do to prevent a crisis, and it may become an emergency situation. It is best if you can get your relative to a hospital voluntarily. This should be part of your crisis plan.

If your loved one appears likely to endanger themselves or someone else and refuses to seek help, you can get a judge or justice of the peace to issue a document that authorizes the police to take your relative for an assessment. The Mental Health Act allows physicians and/or concerned family members to request an emergency assessment through one of these ways:

    Form 1 – through a physician who has seen the individual within the past 7 days
    Form 2 – through a Justice of the Peace that a family member may consult
If your relative is in a crisis or emergency situation, accompany them to the nearest emergency department. If they are unwilling and you are concerned, call 911.

Empowering Families Affected by Substance Use © , CAMH.