Urgent Mental Health Care: Finding the Support You Need Right Away

What This Essay Is For

If you or someone you love is in mental health trouble right now, this page is built to help you make a safe decision in the next five minutes. We are Inland Psychiatric Medical Group (IPMG), a psychiatric practice serving San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The phone numbers and resources below are local, current, and free to call.

Start with the next section. Find which of the three situations matches yours, then go straight to the steps under it.

Find Your Situation in 30 Seconds

1. Psychiatric emergency — call 911 or go to the nearest ER right now.

A suicide attempt is happening or just happened (pills swallowed, cuts, gun, etc.).
Someone is threatening to harm themselves or another person and has the means to do it.
A person is unresponsive, having a seizure, or appears severely intoxicated or overdosing.
Someone is acting on voices that are telling them to hurt themselves or others.
A child or teen has a plan and means to end their life.

2. Mental health crisis or urgent need — call 988, your county crisis line, or a mobile crisis team.

Strong suicidal thoughts without an active plan or means, or with a plan you can step back from.
A panic attack that won’t stop, or fear so intense you can’t function.
Hearing or seeing things that are scaring you, but you are still safe.
A sudden severe worsening of depression, anxiety, mania, or PTSD.
You ran out of psychiatric medication, or you stopped abruptly and feel awful.
A child or teen is in acute distress but is currently safe.

3. Routine outpatient care — schedule an appointment in the next few days to weeks.

Symptoms are bothering you, but you are safe and functioning.
You need a medication refill, a follow-up, or to start care.

If you are not sure where you fall, call 988. They will help you sort it out.

Do This First

1. Call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). It is free, 24/7, and confidential.¹

Press 2 for Spanish.
Press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line, or text 838255.
For chat, go to 988lifeline.org.
For American Sign Language (videophone), go to 988lifeline.org and select “For Deaf & Hard of Hearing” → ASL Now.

2. If you live in San Bernardino County, you can also call the county directly:

SBC Mobile Crisis Response: 800-398-0018 (call) or 909-420-0560 (text). A team can come to you, 24/7, free.²
SBC DBH ACCESS Line: 888-743-1478 (24/7, all behavioral health).
SBC SARC: 800-968-2636 (24/7 substance-use screening and referral).

3. If you live in Riverside County, call:

Inland SoCal Crisis Helpline: 951-686-HELP (951-686-4357) — the line that dispatches the Riverside County Mobile Crisis Response Team (all ages, 24/7).³
RUHS-Behavioral Health CARES Line: 800-499-3008 (24/7, mental health and substance use).
Or walk into a 24/7 Mental Health Urgent Care Center: Riverside (951-509-2499), Perris (951-349-4195), Palm Springs (760-424-5602). No appointment. No insurance required.⁴

4. Call 911 or go to the nearest ER if there is a weapon, an overdose, unconsciousness, or active violence.

5. Other free lines:

Crisis Text Line — text HOME to 741741.
The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth) — 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678.
California Peer-Run Warm Line (non-crisis emotional support, peer-staffed, 24/7 statewide) — call or text 1-855-845-7415.⁵

6. If you have Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) — the dominant Medi-Cal plan in the region, covering more than 1.5 million Riverside and San Bernardino County residents:⁶

Member Services: 1-800-440-IEHP (1-800-440-4347) for behavioral health help.
24-Hour Nurse Advice Line: 1-888-244-IEHP (1-888-244-4347).

Warning Signs to Take Seriously

Some of these are obvious. Some are easy to miss. Any of them deserve a call to 988 or a county crisis line today:

Talking about wanting to die, being a burden, or having no future.
Searching online for methods, buying a gun, or stockpiling medication.
Giving away possessions, writing goodbye notes, or “tying up loose ends.”
Sudden calm or relief after a long depression — sometimes a sign a decision has been made.
Withdrawing from friends, family, work, school, or favorite activities.
Voices commanding harm (called command hallucinations) — telling the person to hurt themselves or someone else.
Stopping psychiatric medication abruptly, or running out and unable to refill.
New or increased alcohol, cannabis, or other substance use.
Severe sleep deprivation — multiple nights of little or no sleep, especially with mania or psychosis.
A child or teen with new self-harm, drastic mood change, or a specific plan.
The first 30 days after leaving a psychiatric hospital or ER. A 2016 JAMA Psychiatry national study found that recently discharged psychiatric inpatients are at exceptionally high short-term risk for suicide, with pooled rates around 2,000 per 100,000 person-years in the first month — even when the person seems “better.”⁷

Crisis Stabilization Units and Mental Health Urgent Cares

A Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) is a calm, home-like place — not a locked hospital — where someone in a mental health crisis can stay for up to 23 hours to get evaluated, take medication if needed, and make a plan. For a psychiatric crisis, it is usually a better experience than a busy ER. Most are voluntary.

San Bernardino County runs CSUs and Crisis Walk-In Centers across the county (Merrill Center in Fontana, Victorville, Yucca Valley, and others). Walk-ins are welcome. For the closest unit, call SBC DBH at 888-743-1478 or Mobile Crisis at 800-398-0018.

Riverside County runs 24/7 Mental Health Urgent Care Centers in Riverside, Perris, and Palm Springs. They are open day and night, take walk-ins, accept any insurance or none, and serve teens and adults.⁴

Children and Teens in Crisis

Ages 13–17. Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) in Colton opened California’s first dedicated adolescent behavioral health emergency room on August 7, 2025, and it is operating in 2026.⁸ It is part of the ARMC Adolescent Behavioral Health Unit at 400 N. Pepper Ave., Colton. For a teen in crisis, you can call 911, go to the ARMC ER, or call ARMC’s main line at 909-580-1000 and ask for Behavioral Health.

Children under 13. Most adult CSUs and mental health urgent cares do not take young children. The two best options are:

Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital — Children’s Emergency Room: 909-651-6233. The region’s only dedicated pediatric ER, staffed to handle psychiatric crises in young children.⁹
Riverside County families: call 951-686-HELP to request the RUHS Mobile Crisis Response Team, which works with all ages, including young children.
San Bernardino County families: call 800-398-0018 (SBC Mobile Crisis) — all ages.

For non-emergency teen mental health support, the Trevor Project and 988 both serve minors.

What Actually Happens When You Call

When you call 988: A trained counselor answers, usually within a minute. They listen. Most calls end with a safety plan and a list of local resources — by SAMHSA’s own data, roughly 98% of contacts are resolved on the phone without any emergency dispatch.¹ If you are in immediate danger and de-escalation isn’t working, the counselor may, sometimes with your consent and rarely without it, arrange for emergency help. Per 988lifeline.org, fewer than 2% of contacts result in any emergency services being sent, and most of those happen with the caller’s agreement. As of 2025, voice calls are routed by your general geographic area rather than your area code, so you reach a local crisis center.

When you call a mobile crisis team (SBC 800-398-0018, or Riverside via 951-686-HELP): A counselor talks with you first by phone. If you need in-person help, a team — usually a licensed clinician and a peer specialist, often without law enforcement — comes to your home, workplace, school, or wherever you are. They de-escalate, assess, help with safety planning, and can connect you to follow-up care or transport you to a CSU or hospital if needed. This is a covered Medi-Cal benefit under California’s Mobile Crisis Services program, active statewide since January 1, 2023.¹⁰

When you go to the ER: A triage nurse will see you first. Expect a wait — psychiatric evaluations can take several hours. You will be seen by an ER doctor and, if needed, a psychiatric clinician. Possible outcomes: you go home with a safety plan and follow-up, you transfer to a CSU, you are admitted voluntarily, or — if you are an immediate danger to yourself or others or unable to care for yourself — you may be placed on a 72-hour hold (called a 5150 for adults, 5585 for minors under 18).¹¹ You can usually bring one trusted person with you. Bring your medication list.

When you have a same-day urgent appointment: You meet (in person or by video) with a psychiatric provider who can adjust medications, address an acute escalation, or help bridge you safely until a longer appointment. This is for urgent — not emergency — situations.

What To Do While You Wait

If you are waiting for a callback, a ride, or a clinician, these techniques are simple, evidence-based, and work for most people in acute distress:

5-4-3-2-1 grounding. Look around and name 5 things you see, 4 things you hear, 3 things you can touch, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing you taste. This pulls your brain out of panic and back into your body.
Box breathing. Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4. Repeat for two minutes.
Distress-tolerance skills for high distress (from dialectical behavior therapy):
- Intense movement — 30 to 60 seconds of jumping jacks, fast walking, or push-ups to burn off the surge of stress hormones.
- Paced breathing — slow breaths, with your exhales longer than your inhales.
- Paired muscle relaxation — tense and then release your muscle groups one at a time, from your feet to your head.
Remove access to dangerous items. This single step saves more lives than almost anything else. Lock or remove firearms (store them off-site with a friend, a gun shop, or law enforcement), and lock up medications or hand them to someone else to hold. Having a trusted person keep anything you might use to hurt yourself puts time and distance between you and a crisis — and that distance saves lives. This is called lethal means counseling, and it is a core part of suicide prevention.¹² Suicidal crises are usually short, and most people who come through one go on to live full lives.¹³
If you are with someone in crisis, stay with them. Do not leave them alone. Do not promise to keep their suicidal thoughts a secret. Drive them, or wait with them for the mobile team or ambulance.

Asking About Suicide Does Not Make It Worse

If you are worried about someone, ask directly: “Are you thinking about killing yourself?” You will not plant the idea. A 2018 meta-analysis in Clinical Psychology Review — covering 13,192 participants across 18 studies — found that being asked about suicide was rarely associated with any increase in risk, and was more often associated with small decreases in suicidal ideation.¹⁴ The question opens a door. The silence keeps it shut.

Telepsychiatry as Urgent (Not Emergency) Care

Across California in 2026, same-day virtual psychiatric appointments are widely available and appropriate for urgent — not emergency — situations: an acute spike in anxiety or depression, medication side effects or running out, follow-up after an ER visit or hospital discharge, or stabilization between routine appointments. Telepsychiatry is not a substitute for 911 or a mobile crisis team if you are in immediate danger.

At Inland Psychiatric Medical Group, we offer same-day and virtual appointments for established patients. If you are not yet a patient and you want to ask about same-day availability, call us at (909) 707-6261. New referrals can come through the clinic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will calling 988 send the police to my house? Almost never. Per 988lifeline.org, fewer than 2% of 988 contacts involve any emergency services being sent, and over half of those happen with the caller’s consent.¹ Counselors are trained to use the least invasive option. 988 cannot pinpoint your exact location; voice calls are now routed to a local crisis center based on your general geographic area, under FCC rules in effect since January 2025.

Will I be put on a 5150 hold if I call for help? Calling for help does not, by itself, trigger a hold. A 5150 (adults) or 5585 (minors) is a 72-hour involuntary evaluation that can only be initiated if a qualified clinician or peace officer determines you are an immediate danger to yourself, an immediate danger to others, or gravely disabled because of a mental health condition.¹¹ Most people who reach out for help — including people with active suicidal thoughts — are not held. They are evaluated and offered voluntary care.

What’s the difference between calling 988 and going to the ER? 988 is best for emotional crisis, suicidal thoughts without immediate danger, panic, and “I don’t know what to do.” Most calls end on the phone. The ER is for immediate medical danger — an overdose, an attempt in progress, severe self-injury, active violence, or psychosis with imminent risk. If you are unsure, call 988 first; they will help you decide.

What if I don’t have insurance or money? 988, mobile crisis teams, the SBC and Riverside county crisis lines, the Inland SoCal Crisis Helpline, the Mental Health Urgent Care Centers in Riverside County, and SBC Crisis Walk-In Centers are all free. They do not require insurance. Medi-Cal — and IEHP, the dominant Medi-Cal plan in our region — covers urgent and emergency mental health care, including mobile crisis response, ER visits, and follow-up.¹⁰ Emergency rooms are required by federal law (EMTALA) to evaluate and stabilize you regardless of ability to pay.

My teen is in crisis. What do I do? If there is immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest ER. For ages 13–17, the ARMC Adolescent Behavioral Health Unit in Colton is the closest dedicated facility in San Bernardino County.⁸ For under 13, Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital ER (909-651-6233) is the regional pediatric ER.⁹ For an urgent — not emergency — teen situation, call 988, the Trevor Project (1-866-488-7386), or your county mobile crisis line (SBC 800-398-0018 or Riverside 951-686-HELP). Stay with your teen. Lock up firearms and medications. Do not try to handle it alone.

Can I bring someone with me to the ER? Yes. Most ERs allow one support person to stay during the evaluation. Hospital policies vary, especially in locked psychiatric units, but you have a right to have a trusted person with you during the initial process in nearly all cases.

What happens after a psychiatric ER visit or hold? You will be discharged with a written safety plan and follow-up appointment, transferred to a Crisis Stabilization Unit or inpatient unit, or — most commonly — sent home with referrals. The first 30 days after discharge are the highest-risk window for another crisis.⁷ Get to your follow-up appointment, take your medications as prescribed, keep dangerous items out of the home, and call 988 or your county line if things slip. If you don’t have a follow-up appointment lined up, ask the ER for one before you leave.

A Few Words About California Law

You may hear these terms:

5150 / 5585 — 72-hour involuntary holds for adults / minors who are determined to be a danger to self, a danger to others, or gravely disabled.¹¹
CARE Court (SB 1338, expanded by SB 27 effective January 1, 2026) — a civil court process, active in all 58 California counties since December 2024, that allows certain family members, clinicians, and first responders to petition for a court-ordered treatment plan for adults with untreated schizophrenia-spectrum or other psychotic disorders.¹⁵ It is not an arrest, not a hold, and does not apply to most mental health conditions.
Laura’s Law — California’s assisted outpatient treatment law, active in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

If a family member is facing any of these, you have the right to ask questions, request a patient advocate, and consult a mental health attorney. Most people in crisis never encounter these laws.

Reaching Out Is the Right Move

If you are reading this for yourself, please make one call right now. If you are reading this for someone you love, stay with them and make the call together. The crisis lines in this essay exist for exactly this moment.

For non-crisis follow-up — outpatient appointments, medication management, ongoing care — Inland Psychiatric Medical Group can be reached at (909) 707-6261. We serve patients across San Bernardino, Riverside, and the broader Inland Empire, in person and by telehealth.

If you or someone you know is in crisis:

For a life-threatening emergency — call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

988 — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988. Chat at 988lifeline.org.

988 en Español — Call 988, press 2.

Veterans Crisis Line — Call 988, press 1, or text 838255.

The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth) — 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678.

Crisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741.

California Peer-Run Warm Line — 1-855-845-7415 (call or text).

SBC DBH ACCESS Line — 888-743-1478 (24/7).

SBC Mobile Crisis Response — 800-398-0018 (call) / 909-420-0560 (text).

SBC SARC — 800-968-2636 (24/7).

Riverside RUHS CARES Line — 800-499-3008.

Inland SoCal Crisis Helpline (Riverside County) — 951-686-HELP (951-686-4357).

ARMC Adolescent Psychiatric ER (ages 13–17) — 909-580-1000 (Colton).

Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital ER (under 13) — 909-651-6233.

Inland Psychiatric Medical Group (non-emergency) — (909) 707-6261.

Sources

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, “FAQ: Does Vibrant use police intervention for callers, texters, and chatters to the 988 Lifeline?” 988lifeline.org: “Less than two percent of 988 Lifeline calls involve emergency services. When emergency services are involved, over half of these emergency dispatches occur with the caller’s consent.” CSG Justice Center, “988: A Shared Opportunity”: “nearly 98 percent of people who have reached out to 988 have been able to get the support they need over the phone without requiring a connection to emergency services.” FCC, “988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline” page and Third Report and Order on Georouting (Oct 2024): nationwide carriers compliant by Jan 13, 2025. SAMHSA / 988lifeline.org “For Deaf & Hard of Hearing” → ASL Now. ↩ ↩² ↩³
San Bernardino County, “Mobile Crisis Response for Behavioral Health now available 24/7/365,” main.sbcounty.gov, January 18, 2024: “individuals may call (800) 398-0018 or text (909) 420-0560 for support.” SBC DBH: ACCESS Line 888-743-1478; SARC 800-968-2636. San Bernardino County DBH CSU/CWIC listings; Telecare Merrill Center page. ↩
County of Riverside, “Riverside County’s Mobile Crisis Response for Behavioral Health Goes 24/7,” rivco.gov, January 16, 2024. RUHS-BH, “Crisis Support System of Care,” ruhealth.org: “The Mobile Crisis Response Teams work with individuals of all ages and backgrounds”; HELPline 951-686-HELP and CARES Line 800-499-3008. Inland SoCal United Way: Inland SoCal Crisis Helpline at 951-686-HELP. ↩
RUHS Behavioral Health, “Mental Health Urgent Cares,” ruhealth.org/mental-health-urgent-cares: “Our Mental Health Urgent Care Centers are open 24/7, and no appointment is necessary.” Locations and phones: Riverside 951-509-2499; Perris 951-349-4195; Palm Springs 760-424-5602. ↩ ↩²
Mental Health Association of San Francisco, “The California Peer-Run Warm Line Now Offers Text Message Mental Health Support,” mentalhealthsf.org: “The California Peer-Run Warm Line is available by calling or texting toll-free 1-855-845-7415.” ↩
Inland Empire Health Plan, public communications and member documents (iehp.org), Oct 1, 2024: IEHP “supports more than 1.5 million Riverside and San Bernardino County residents enrolled in Medicaid or IEHP DualChoice.” Member Services 1-800-440-IEHP (4347); 24-Hour Nurse Advice Line 1-888-244-IEHP (4347). ↩
Olfson M, Wall M, Wang S, et al. “Short-term Suicide Risk After Psychiatric Hospital Discharge.” JAMA Psychiatry. 2016;73(11):1119–1126. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.2035. Pooled rate per 100,000 person-years in the first month post-discharge ≈ 2,060 (Chung et al., meta-analysis, JAMA Psychiatry 2017). ↩ ↩²
Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, “Adolescent Behavioral Health Unit,” arrowheadregional.org: “Introducing ARMC’s new Adolescent Behavioral Health Unit, which includes the first adolescent behavioral health emergency room in California… adolescents (ages 13–17).” San Bernardino County, “Arrowhead Regional Medical Center unveils new Adolescent Behavioral Health Unit,” main.sbcounty.gov, August 14, 2025: ribbon-cutting Aug 7, 2025. ↩ ↩²
Loma Linda University Children’s Health, “Children’s Emergency Room,” lluch.org/services/childrens-emergency-room: “You may also contact our pediatric emergency room at 909-651-6233… We’re the region’s only dedicated emergency room for children.” ↩ ↩²
California Department of Health Care Services, BHIN 23-025, “Medi-Cal Mobile Crisis Services Benefit Implementation,” dhcs.ca.gov; State Plan Amendment 22-0043, effective January 1, 2023. DHCS, “Community-Based Mobile Crisis Response Fact Sheet (2026 GB)”: enhanced 85% federal match through Dec 31, 2026; federal authorization through March 31, 2027. ↩ ↩²
California Welfare and Institutions Code §§ 5150 and 5585.50 et seq. NAMI Westside Los Angeles, “Guide to Involuntary Treatment (LPS) Holds”: “A 5150 is a 72-hour long involuntary treatment hold in a hospital or mental health facility (this is called a 5585 for minors).” ↩ ↩² ↩³
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Gun Violence Solutions, “Lethal Means Safety Counseling”: “Lethal means safety counseling is a voluntary, patient-centered health care intervention that prevents injury and death by helping patients and their families reduce access to lethal means for those at risk.” VA MIRECC, “Lethal Means Safety and Suicide Prevention.” ↩
Harvard Injury Control Research Center, lethal-means research. Catherine Barber: “even among very serious attempters, 90 percent did not go on to take their lives in later years.” ↩
Blades CA, Stritzke WGK, Page AC, Brown JD. “The benefits and risks of asking research participants about suicide: A meta-analysis of the impact of exposure to suicide-related content.” Clinical Psychology Review. 2018;64:1–12. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2018.07.001. 13,192 participants across 18 studies: “changes in self-harm and suicide urges following study assessments were small, infrequent, and were most likely to reflect a decrease.” See also DeCou CR, Schumann ME, “On the Iatrogenic Risk of Assessing Suicidality: A Meta-Analysis,” Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 2018. ↩
California SB 1338 (Umberg, 2022), Welfare & Institutions Code Division 5, §§ 5970–5986 — CARE Act. Disability Rights California, “Information on CARE Act”: all 58 counties required to implement starting December 1, 2024; SB 27 (Umberg, 2025) effective January 1, 2026, expands eligibility. NAMI California, “CARE Court” overview. ↩