If someone’s mental health deteriorates significantly, they may not be able to wait for an appointment with a GP or community team. Sometimes more urgent support is needed to ensure your safety or the safety of others – and this is where our Crisis team comes in.
When you call our Crisis team, we’ll talk to you about your concerns and agree what needs to happen next. If a visit from us is the right option, we’ll arrange a safe place to meet, either at home or another location. During a visit, we’ll work with you to decide what immediate and short-term help is needed, to get things back on track.
We aim to respond as quickly as possible to calls but if our team is out on other visits it may take up to four hours for them to reach you.
If you or someone around you is in immediate physical danger, please dial 999 or visit your nearest Accident & Emergency department.
Birmingham and Solihull Urgent Mental Health Helpline (line managed by MIND)
If urgent mental health help is needed you can ring 0121 262 3555 or 0800 915 9292 for advice and support.
This line is available 24 hours, 7 days a week and can be used whether you are known to our services or not.
You can also email [email protected] or get in contact the webchat service Helpline – Birmingham Mind
Coping during a crisis
The mental health charity Mind has information on ways to help yourself cope during a crisis
This includes calming exercises and a tool to get you through the next few hours.
Crisis Numbers
988: Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
If you are feeling vulnerable or suicidal or are worried about someone, call 988, the national number for all mental health, substance use, and suicide crises. For more information on this lifeline, visit the Alabama Department of Mental Health.
Alabama Crisis Numbers
The Crisis Center (Central Alabama)
Main Line: (205) 323-7777
Teen Line: (205) 328-LINK (205-328-5465)
Kids’ Help Line: (205) 328-KIDS (205-328-5437)
Senior Talk Line: (205) 328-TALK (205-328-8255)
Visit Website
Crisis Services of North Alabama
(256) 716-1000 or 1-800-691-8426
Visit Website
Family Counseling Center of Mobile, Inc.
(251) 431-5111 or 1-800-239-1117
Visit Website
National Crisis Resources
Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)
24-hour nationwide
Visit Website
Covenant House Nineline
1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929)
24-hour nationwide
Visit Website
Girls & Boys Town National Hotline
Phone, Chat, Text, and Email
1-800-448-3000
1-800-448-1833-TTY
24-hour nationwide
Visit Website
National Graduate Student Crisis Line
1-877-GRAD-HLP (1-877-4723-475)
National Youth Crisis Hotline
1-800-442-HOPE (1-800-442-4673)
24-hour nationwide
Poison Control Center
For Emergencies: 1-800-222-1222
Visit Website
Samariteens
1-800-252-TEENS (1-800-252-8336)
3:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
The Trevor Lifeline
1-866-488-7386
The Trevor Lifeline is a service of The Trevor Project, a non-profit endeavor devoted to promoting tolerance and understanding for LGBTQ youth.
24-hour nationwide
Visit Website
TrevorText
Available on Fridays (4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. PT).
Text the word “Trevor” to 1-202-304-1200. Standard text messaging rates apply.
TrevorChat
Available 7 days per week (3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. PT)
Youth America Hotline (YAH!)
1-877-YOUTHLINE (1-877-968-8454)
Youth Crisis Hotline
1-800-HIT-HOME (1-800-448-4663)
24-hour nationwide
You may also want to check out these resources, and most importantly seek help as soon as possible from a mental health professional: counselors, social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists, your Employee Assistance Program, or in community agencies. You can also consider church-affiliated counseling centers, pastoral care centers, United Way Agencies, your primary care physician, or the emergency department at a hospital. If you are struggling to find the right professional, please tell a trusted friend about your feelings and ask them to help you find help quickly.
Do Not Stop Asking for Help
If you or someone else is imminently suicidal – on the verge of suicide – please take yourself or the other person to the nearest hospital emergency room or call 911. Suicide is final . There is no going back. There is no chance to reconsider the action of suicide. It is “The Forever Decision” (Dr. Paul Quinnett, PhD).
Karmen Story, Clinical Manager
Karmen Story, LICSW, CSOTP, is our Crisis Care Center clinical manager. Hailing from Virginia, Karmen brings more than a decade of experience in the mental health field to this new role where she will provide direct supervision to clinical staff and clinical services to individuals seeking care. Before moving to Birmingham, she worked as a Licensed Behavioral Health Therapist for Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Psychiatry and as a Forensic Mental Health Therapist and Mental Health Clinical Manager for the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC). Previous work experience includes 10+ years in the field of mental health working in settings such as forensic psychiatric hospitals, medical hospitals, therapeutic foster care, adult mental health day programs, outpatient services and private practice. Karmen graduated from the University of Virginia with a BA in Psychology, received her MSW from Virginia Commonwealth University and holds certifications as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and as a Certified Sex Offender Treatment Provider.
The Mental Health Crisis Unit consists of trained social workers who work in conjunction with sworn law enforcement personnel in providing crisis intervention assistance for the citizens of Jefferson County.
This unit is designed to provide services to all citizens who come to the attention of law enforcement as a result of psychological problems, in linking such citizens to the proper social services agencies, and in diverting such situations away from the criminal justice system.
This unit has the responsibility of providing services to all citizens referred, routing the cases to a long term agency when warranted. Whenever possible, this unit will provide feedback to the referring deputy to apprise them of case activity.
