A reimagined crisis response treats a mental health emergency as a health emergency, providing mental health services as a primary response to any adult or child in a mental health, substance use or suicidal crisis.

A reimagined crisis response treats everyone who experiences a mental health, suicide or substance use emergency, humanely—with respect and dignity—while also providing the same respect and support to their loved ones.

A reimagined crisis response addresses disparities in care for mental health conditions and substance use disorders by ensuring any person who experiences a mental health crisis has equal access to a mental health response where their cultural and linguistic needs are met and are treated equitably, regardless of race, religion, geography, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, disability, or mental health diagnosis – including access to specialized services for disproportionately impacted communities.

 A reimagined crisis response reliably serves all people in crisis quickly, giving access to mental health and substance use care anywhere anytime, through the options of someone to talk to, someone to respond, and a safe place for help.

A reimagined crisis response reflects the unique needs of communities and their population by encouraging innovation and leveraging new and existing resources to provide the core elements of crisis response.

A reimagined crisis response incorporates the unique and essential role of peers and their families in all aspects of providing crisis services – from creating a crisis system that meets the needs of the local community to including peer support workers as part of the continuum of care.

A reimagined crisis system expands the mental health workforce by incorporating a broad range of professionals, including peers and families with lived experience, and ensuring that the workforce is sufficient in supply, diversity and training to meet the cultural and linguistic needs of all individuals, especially marginalized and underserved populations in the community.

A reimagined crisis response focuses on intervening as early as possible in a person’s crisis and connecting every person in crisis to long-term supports and services that help them get well and stay well, ideally while remaining in the community.