Today I want to point out a resource that is available for everyone, as we never know when this situation may happen to any of us. It is called “Navigating a Mental Health Crisis”, and it can be downloaded for free on NAMI’s website at https://www.nami.org/About-NAMI/Publications-Reports/Guides/Navigating-a-Mental-Health-Crisis/Navigating-A-Mental-Health-Crisis.pdf?utm_source=website&utm_medium=cta&utm_campaign=crisisguide
The guidebook is a little over 30 pages long, but it has many different sections, so you can pick and choose what is important to you if you don’t want to read the entire guide. Topics covered include understanding mental illness, understanding mental health crises, what to do in a mental health crisis, what to expect from mental health treatment, advocating for treatment, other types of crises, preparing for a crisis, and NAMI resources.
Personally, I think it is great to have a guide like this available. I assume most of us would appreciate having help in navigating a mental health crisis and having some assistance in knowing what to do. As a lot of us have come to realize, understanding the healthcare system and insurance can be challenging, even if you are not faced with a mental health condition. Also, there are challenges in understanding the criminal justice system and how to navigate that area should it come into play. Finally, I like how the guide encourages us to consider the before, during, and after of a crisis, because these are all important parts of a mental health event.
How about you? What are your thoughts on this guide? Does it give you some helpful information? Is it missing important pieces that would be helpful for you to know? I hope you will take some time to download and review the guide to see if it can be helpful to you or someone you know. Also consider sharing it with everyone you know, because a mental health crisis can affect anyone.