August 07, 2026
Mental health challenges are a leading cause of death and disability among high school-aged kids, according to the National Institutes of Health. It’s important to get help, but parents can struggle to identify what a crisis looks like and where to turn to for treatment.
The inpatient unit at our Marillac Campus is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can walk in without an appointment any day or time and get an evaluation to see if your child or adolescent needs to be admitted for treatment. Here are 6 categories of crisis behaviors and some options you can turn to for help.
1. Self-harm and suicide
Hurting themselves is definitely a red flag. Self-harm means they are hurting themselves on purpose. This can include cutting, burning, hitting and more.
Thoughts of suicide, where someone intends to cause their death, should always be evaluated. Suicidal ideation includes creating a plan and intending to act. You can use the Columbia Protocol, or the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale, to ask your child questions and determine their risk for suicidal actions. Get the questions here.
If their responses indicate needing further evaluation, head to our Marillac Campus.
2. Alcohol or drug use
Underage alcohol or drug use is a cause for concern, even if it is not an overdose. Go to the nearest emergency department for treatment.
3. Threats against others or aggressive, destructive or violent behavior
Threats against others, sometimes called homicidality, should be taken seriously. If you believe your child poses a real threat to someone, you should call 911.
If they are currently behaving in an aggressive, destructive or violent manner that you cannot control, call 911 and inform them that your child is having a mental health crisis. They may need treatment at an emergency department before they can be stable enough to undergo mental health evaluation.
4. Hallucinations
If your child or teen describes seeing or hearing things that aren’t there, you should seek mental health treatment options. You can walk into the Marillac Campus hospital to be evaluated for inpatient treatment.
5. Behavior changes
Many behavior changes can indicate a mental health condition or disorder. They include:
- Changes to eating and drinking habits – these can be intentional or unintentional changes. For example, conditions like depression may lead to a loss of appetite while eating disorders may include intentional restriction.
- Changes to sleep habits or patterns.
- Delusions – this is when someone believes something that isn’t true. Delusions are concerning if they last for more than a month.
- Mania – in kids and teens, mania can include high-energy that is out of character, engaging in risky behaviors, increased irritability, intense focus, talking much faster and more.
- Paranoia – this is an intense feeling of mistrust or suspicion.
- Any other erratic behavior you can’t explain.
Experiencing one of these changes may not be urgent and could be first addressed with your primary care provider, like a pediatrician. However, experiencing several of these behavior changes, experiencing one to an extreme degree or experiencing one of these changes for an extended period may indicate need for more robust treatment. You can walk into the Marillac Campus hospital to be evaluated for inpatient treatment.
6. Anxiety or depression that does not seem to be responding to outpatient treatment
If your child or teen is being treated for anxiety or depression but has experienced concerning worsening of their symptoms despite being treated, it might be advisable to seek a higher level of care. You can walk into the Marillac Campus hospital to be evaluated for inpatient treatment.