Emergency Services

EMERGENCY SERVICES
For life-threatening emergencies, call
911

For help with a suicidal crisis or other mental health emergency, call
ACCESS at 800 854-7771
TYY for Hearing Impaired 562 651 2549

The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH) operates a psychiatric mobile emergency response system twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. Emergency services are comprised of several components.

• Psychiatric Mobile Response Teams (PMRT)
• Law Enforcement Teams
• Psychiatric Emergency Teams (PET)
• Homeless Outreach Teams (HOT)
• Emergency Response Teams (ERT)

Psychiatric mobile response services emphasize a coordinated approach with the mental health system of care in order to provide local communities with a range of psychiatric and case management services. The components of these services include outreach, assessment and treatment, crisis intervention, consultation, referral and follow-up, psychiatry consultation and medication stabilization and, evaluation of children and adults for civil commitment to acute inpatient psychiatric care.

Psychiatric Mobile Response Teams (PMRT)
Psychiatric Emergency Response Teams (PMRT) is comprised of DMH clinical staff assigned to specific mobile response teams located in the eight Los Angeles County Service Areas (See figure below). Teams have legal authority per Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) 5150 and 5585 to perform evaluations for the involuntary detention of mentally disordered adults and children respectively. PMRT responds to requests for mobile psychiatric services within sixty minutes of the initial referral.

Department of Mental Health - Law Enforcement Teams

The Department of Mental Health has partnered with Los Angeles County, City, and other municipal law enforcement agencies to provide immediate field response to situations involving mentally ill, violent or high-risk individuals. DMH-Law Enforcement teams respond to 911 calls for assistance whenever mental illness is reported or suspected. Teams also respond to requests from PMRT or law enforcement patrol officers for mental health assistance. Current programs include:

• Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Mental Evaluation Team (MET). The teams are comprised of a trained deputy sheriff and a mental health clinician. Services include crisis intervention, referrals, and follow-up to people with mental illness.

Los Angeles Police Department Systemwide Mental Assessment Response Team (SMART). The SMART teams consist of Los Angeles Police Department officers and mental health clinicians. The Teams assess persons and families experiencing a mental health crisis by assisting field patrol officers in the rapid response to persons suspected of having a mental illness.

• Long Beach Police Department Mental Evaluation Team (Long Beach MET). Teams are comprised of a Long Beach Police Officer and a mental health clinician who respond to 911 requests regarding a psychiatric or emotional crisis.
• Pasadena Police Department Homeless Outreach Psychiatric Evaluations (Project HOPE). The HOPE teams respond to radio calls for service involving the homeless or anyone experiencing a psychiatric crisis in the city of Pasadena. Services include homeless outreach, follow-up, referrals, and crisis intervention.
• Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority Crisis Response Unit (MTA-CRU). The team combines a Sheriff Deputy with a mental health clinician that respond to calls for service involving anyone experiencing a psychiatric crisis on bus, rail, or any other MTA property. The teams also provide homeless outreach services and crisis response to traumatic incidents on bus or rail lines throughout LA County.

Psychiatric Emergency Teams (PET)
Psychiatric Emergency Teams (PET) are mobile response teams based in and operated by psychiatric hospitals approved by the Department of Mental Health to provide 5150 and 5585 evaluations. Team members are licensed mental health clinicians. PET operates similar to PMRT and provides additional resources in specific geographical regions.

Homeless Outreach Teams (HOT)
Homeless Outreach Teams (HOT) are comprised of DMH staff dedicated to immediate field response involving mentally ill homeless persons at risk for incarceration or involuntary hospitalization. HOT serves to increase the likelihood of effective outcomes for the homeless mentally ill person in situations when he or she encounters law enforcement personnel.

Emergency Response Teams (ERT)
Emergency Response Teams (ERT) are comprised of DMH staff specialized in providing field response to critical incidents such as school violence, earthquakes, or acts of terror. ERT provides on-scene consultation and crisis intervention services to survivors and their families, victims, first responders, and the community at large. In a major event, ERT collaborates with the Los Angeles County and City Offices of Emergency Management.

Los Angeles County Alcohol and Drug Program Administration Referral
1-800-564-6000