Seeing your teen experiencing a mental health crisis can be understandably very frightening. A dozen things might be running through your mind at once: What counts as an emergency? Where can I get help? Can my teen be treated without my consent? How can I support them?
Knowing what to do and where to get help can make a frightening situation feel a little more manageable. However, emergency mental health treatment for minors in Minnesota may involve different routes. The right approach for your teen depends on their specific needs and whether there may be an immediate risk to either their safety or someone else’s.
To help, on this page, we walk you through the ins and outs of adolescent emergency mental health treatment in Minnesota, covering:
Please note: The information on this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you have questions about the mental health care laws for minors in Minnesota, please consult a qualified attorney regarding your specific situation.
Most parents know when their child needs to head to the emergency room for a physical illness or injury. But it can be harder to know when mental health concerns are considered “severe enough” to seek emergency care.
An adolescent mental health emergency, also sometimes called a “teen psychiatric crisis,” generally means there is an immediate concern about a young person’s safety or well-being that requires urgent attention.
Some of the most common reasons to seek emergency support for a teen’s mental health include:[1]
Remember, as a parent, you don’t need to be 100% certain that your teen is experiencing a psychiatric crisis to reach out for help. If you’re concerned about their immediate safety, or someone else’s, seek emergency support as soon as possible.
Several Minnesota youth crisis services are available. Often, the right starting point depends on the immediate risk to the safety of your teen or others.
Here are some of the crisis mental health services for youth available to you:
The support your teen receives depends on their symptoms and any safety concerns that may be present. A crisis service can assess what your teen is experiencing and what care and support they may need, such as outpatient treatment or hospitalization.
Before finding out what actually happens when your teen gets to the emergency room, let’s take a closer look at how treatment and consent work in Minnesota.
Generally, a parent or legal guardian provides consent for medical care for a minor under 18, including for mental health treatment.[3] However, minor emergency consent in Minnesota does have some exceptions.
Imagine your teen is taken to the ER from their school and you can’t be contacted. You would likely want your child to receive any urgent treatment they need as soon as possible.
Section 144.344 of the Minnesota Statutes covers emergency mental health treatment for minors in Minnesota. This says that, in an emergency, treatment may go ahead without parental consent if delaying care to obtain it would endanger the minor’s life.[4] In other words, potentially life-saving care can begin before you give consent.
Turning up at the ER can be a nerve-wracking experience at the best of times, let alone in a crisis situation. Knowing what to expect when a teen goes to the hospital for help during an emergency can make the process feel a little bit easier.
During an emergency evaluation, the clinicians will assess your child’s immediate safety and what treatment they may need.
The assessment often involves healthcare professionals talking to your child about their thoughts, feelings, and plans, which may include things like:
You are often able to stay with your child for parts of the evaluation. However, the clinician might also want to speak with your teen privately. This allows them to share with the doctor anything they find difficult to discuss in front of you.
If your teen is going to the ER, some useful information to bring with you or share with the clinicians includes:
It’s worthwhile knowing that an ER visit focuses on your teen’s immediate safety rather than trying to resolve everything at once.
Mission Prep is here to help you or your loved one take the next steps towards an improved mental well-being.
After a youth psychiatric emergency in Minnesota, what happens next depends on your teen’s needs, in terms of both safety and treatment.
Emergency psychiatric care for minors may look like:[5]
If your child isn’t considered to be an immediate danger to themselves or others, they may be discharged with a follow-up plan. This plan might include recommendations for referrals for:
If clinicians believe your teen is at significant risk of harming themselves or someone else, they may recommend that your child be admitted to an inpatient psychiatric hospital or behavioral health unit.
This is known as “hospitalization.” The immediate priority in this treatment is keeping your teen safe.
If the hospital where the ER is located cannot provide the psychiatric care your teen needs, they may be transferred to another facility instead for treatment.
In some circumstances, a teen may be held temporarily in the hospital for up to 72 hours in an “emergency hold.”[6] This is like a brief, intense “pause” button designed to keep your teen physically safe while professionals assess them and determine the most appropriate treatment.
Knowing the options available for emergency mental health treatment for minors in Minnesota can help you access the support your teen needs. But a mental health crisis can be highly frightening and confusing. And many parents worry about saying or doing the “wrong” thing.
If your teen comes to you in crisis, these suggestions may help you support them:
A mental health crisis needs appropriate professional assessment and care, but your support can also make a real difference to how your teen feels.
Take a tour of our teen residential mental health facilities located in Minnetonka, MN. Our locations offer peace & comfort within a residential environment where teenagers, aged 12-17, can relax and focus on themselves.
Our well-appointed facilities are located in on the west side of the Metro area and serve teens from across Minnesota.
After a crisis, your teen may require ongoing support as they work through recovery and return to their usual daily life and routines.
At Mission Prep Teen Treatment, we use evidence-based therapeutic approaches and innovative interventions to foster sustainable change for adolescents and their families. Our compassionate team of mental health experts tailors treatment programs to each adolescent’s unique needs to ensure they get the right level of support.
Whether your teen could benefit from residential treatment at one of our locations or something more flexible, like an outpatient mental health program delivered virtually, to treat their mental health concerns, our team can help.
Mission Prep Teen Treatment accepts insurance and is in-network with most major providers. We are happy to help you check your insurance coverage for mental health care.
Learn more about how we can help support you and your family by contacting us online or calling us at 866-901-4047. Our compassionate team is available 24/7 to answer your questions and provide guidance with no obligation.
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