Where an adult can go in a mental health crisis besides the ER

Do Not Lose Hope is not a crisis line, a clinic or a counselor. This page is not medical advice. It points you to people trained to help.

This page is about adults. For children and teens, see Where to get mental health help for a child. If someone is thinking of suicide right now, also see What to do right now.

Which option fits right now?

This is our suggested way to sort it, from most urgent to least. It is a guide, not a medical rule.

If you are not sure, call 988 or your county line and describe what is going on. They can help you decide.

What happens when we call 988 or a county line?

A trained counselor answers, asks if you are safe, and listens. 988 says it tries to make a safety plan with you first. It says fewer than 2 percent of its calls involve emergency services, and more than half of those happen with the caller's OK. Emergency services are contacted when risk of harm is happening now and a safer plan cannot be agreed on.

County crisis lines can do something 988 often cannot: send a local team, or tell you which local program has room. In San Mateo County, call (650) 579-0350. In Santa Clara County, call (800) 704-0900 and press 1. The county says you can also dial 988 from a local 408, 650 or 669 number.

For what 988 does with your information, see Calling or texting 988.

Can a crisis team come to us?

Often, yes. Mobile crisis teams are trained behavioral health workers who come to a home, a workplace or a public place.

San Mateo County residents. Call the County Crisis Line at (650) 579-0350, 24/7. In 2025 the county said its mobile response team is made up of behavioral health clinicians trained in de escalation, who arrive in plain vehicles without lights or sirens, as an alternative to a law enforcement response.

Santa Clara County residents. Call (800) 704-0900 and press 1, 24/7. The county runs Mobile Crisis Response Teams for adults 18 and older.

Other California counties. Mobile crisis care is a Medi-Cal benefit meant to be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Not every county has confirmed what it offers, so call your county line from the DHCS list or call 988 and ask.

Is there a walk in place to go today?

Some counties have behavioral health urgent care. It is like urgent care for mental health: you can walk in, be seen by a clinician, and leave with a plan.

Santa Clara County residents. Behavioral Health Urgent Care at 2221 Enborg Lane, San Jose, takes walk ins and scheduled visits for county residents in a behavioral health crisis. It offers psychiatric evaluation and treatment, a calm space, short term medication help for up to 59 days, and referrals. Hours are Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and you must arrive by 6:30 p.m. Call (408) 885-7855 or (408) 885-7854. It is closed Sunday.

San Mateo County residents. The county's crisis services page lists the Crisis Hotline, Serenity House and a community crisis response team, but no walk in urgent care (checked October 21, 2026). Call the County Crisis Line at (650) 579-0350 to ask where to go.

Is there a place to stay that is not a hospital?

Yes, in many counties. There are two main kinds.

Crisis stabilization is a short stay, usually under 24 hours, with staff watching over the person until the worst passes.

• Santa Clara County. Momentum for Health runs a voluntary adult crisis stabilization unit, open 24/7, at 101 Jose Figueres Avenue, Suite 50, San Jose. It serves adults 18 and over with Medi-Cal, Medicare or no insurance. It does not take private insurance. Stays cannot go over 24 hours, and it is not for people who need alcohol or drug detox. Call (408) 207-0560, ext. 1, or ring the doorbell.

Crisis residential is a home like setting where an adult can stay for several days, get counseling and medicine, and plan next steps.

• San Mateo County. Serenity House is a 24/7 crisis residential program for adults 18 and over with a mental illness, including those who also use substances, for stays of up to 10 days. It is at 3701 Hacienda Street, San Mateo, for county residents. You can refer yourself; call 650-539-0340 before you go. The county says participation is voluntary and staff check whether it is a good fit. Family members can also refer.
• Other counties. Ask your county crisis line whether it has crisis residential or crisis stabilization and how to get in.

These places are voluntary. The person has to agree to go. They are calmer than an emergency room, but they are not for medical emergencies like an overdose or a serious injury.

Who pays, and does status matter?

Medi-Cal. Mobile crisis is a Medi-Cal benefit. Medi-Cal plans cover mild to moderate adult mental health care, and county mental health plans cover more serious needs. The Medi-Cal Help Line is 1-800-541-5555.

Restricted scope (emergency only) Medi-Cal. Emergency psychiatric hospital care is covered. Routine counseling is not a listed benefit. Neither crisis program's own page says whether it takes restricted scope members, so ask the county line.

No insurance. The Momentum crisis stabilization unit says it serves people with no insurance. Its page does not list a fee. Serenity House does not list cost or insurance rules. Ask when you call.

Immigration status. None of the crisis line or program pages we read list an immigration status rule. For more on fear of immigration and getting care, see Mental health care without fear. If you are worried about public charge, see Will using benefits hurt my immigration case?.

What if they say no to help?

Adults have a right to make their own choices, unless they are a danger to themselves or others. If they refuse help but are not in danger right now:

• Stay with them, and keep talking. Ask what would help.
• Call 988 or the county line yourself for advice. You can call about someone else.
• Make the space safer. Move guns, extra pills and alcohol out of reach.

If they become a danger to themselves or others, or cannot care for themselves, call 911. San Mateo County says a person in that situation may be placed on an involuntary hospital hold of up to 72 hours for evaluation and care. That is frightening, and it is meant to keep them alive.

What happens after the crisis?

A crisis program is a bridge, not the end. Before they leave, ask:

• What is the next appointment, and with whom?
• What medicine changes were made?
• Who do we call if it gets bad again?

Then help them keep that first appointment. In San Mateo County, the ACCESS line, (800) 686-0101, gives information, assessment and referral for ongoing care, and you can call for someone you are worried about. In Santa Clara County, call (800) 704-0900. A written safety plan helps too; see Make a safety plan for hard moments.

Questions people ask

Will police come if I call the county crisis line? San Mateo County says its mobile team is an alternative to a law enforcement response. If there is immediate danger, police or EMS may be sent. Ask the line what they plan to send.

Can I take them to a crisis home instead of the ER? Only if they agree and are medically safe. Serenity House asks you to call first. Momentum's unit says you can ring the bell. For overdose, injury or trouble breathing, go to the ER or call 911.

What if we live in another county? Call your county line from the DHCS list, or 988, and ask for the closest mobile team, urgent care or crisis residential program.

Is there help in Spanish or other languages? 988 offers Spanish by phone, text and chat, and interpreters in more than 240 languages by phone. Ask the county line about interpreters.

Is there a card I can keep?

Who can help

Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, or chat. Free, confidential, 24/7/365. 988lifeline.org
• San Mateo County Crisis Line, run by StarVista (for county residents): (650) 579-0350, 24/7. smchealth.org
• Serenity House, San Mateo County (for county residents): 650-539-0340. smchealth.org
• Santa Clara County crisis teams (for county residents): (800) 704-0900, press 1. bhsd.santaclaracounty.gov
• Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Urgent Care (for county residents): (408) 885-7855. bhsd.santaclaracounty.gov
• Momentum for Health Crisis Stabilization Unit (San Jose): (408) 207-0560 ext. 1. momentumforhealth.org
• California Peer Run Warm Line (California residents, not a crisis line): call or text 855-600-9276. mentalhealthsf.org

A crisis is a moment, not the whole story. The right help, in the right place, can get you both to tomorrow.