From The Body Is Not An Apology: For many people, calling the police during a mental health emergency can result in brutality. Here are five alternative ways of responding to a person in crisis.
“I think the first question to ask yourself is what is the fear? Many times people in mental health crises will make other people uncomfortable, though there is no real actual fear of harm. Are you afraid that the person may kill themselves? You can learn how to support someone who is suicidal here. If you are worried that they may be a danger to other people, in what way? Will they use weapons? Can you make the situation safer in any way? Are you worried that they need more formal mental health treatment than you can give? That’s fine but not a reason to call the police. Are their delusions making you uncomfortable? Our own (internalized or not) ableism can often manifest as fear when it is actually just discomfort.”
