For a mental health crisis or emergency, patients and families are encouraged to contact their current mental health provider first. This allows the mental health provider, who knows your child best, to provide support and direction.
If you are unable to reach your mental health provider or your child does not have a mental health provider and your child is struggling or in crisis, help is also available through the suicide or crisis hotline. Please call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
You may also choose to contact the Psychiatric Intake Response Center (PIRC) at Cincinnati Children’s by calling 513.636.4124. During office hours, a licensed clinician will be able to discuss with you your concerns and provide options of intervention. If calling after hours, you will be prompted to page the PIRC clinician. You will be asked to leave your name, contact number and the child’s name and date of birth you are calling about. A PIRC clinician will return your call within one hour. The PIRC staff will help you to decide the most effective level of intervention for your child’s mental health crisis – which may include an urgent psychiatric assessment in the PIRC Bridge Clinic.
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, a life-threatening mental health crisis, you should call 911 or go to the emergency department.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Crisis Support by Agency
This listing is the emergency and acute services contacts for providers who are already providing treatment to your child.
PIRC
513-636-4124
The Psychiatric Intake Response Center (PIRC), located within Cincinnati Children’s, is the admission and evaluation center for all psychiatric services.
Urgent Care, Best Point Behavioral Health
513-527-3040, 5051 Duck Creek Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45227
For children, teens and young adults up to age 21, the urgent care helps those who need immediate social or emotional care not rising to the level of going to the hospital. Open Mon-Fri 9:30am-6pm.
Lighthouse Crisis Center
513-961-4080
The Youth Crisis Center provides a safe haven for youth ages 10-17 who are physically or sexually abused, neglected, or for some other reason believe they can’t safely be in their own homes.
Drug and Poison
513-636-5111
The Cincinnati Drug and Poison Information Center (DPIC) at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is a 24-hour emergency and information telephone service for anyone with concerns about poison or drugs.
Mobile Crisis Teams
Butler County Mobile Crisis
844-427-4747
Butler, Clinton, Preble and Warren County Mobile Response Stabilization Services (ages 0-21)
513-785-2160
Clermont County Mobile Crisis
513-528-7283
Hamilton County Mobile Crisis
513-584-5098
Grief Support
Companions on a Journey- Grief Support
513-870-9108
Offers support to anyone who has suffered the death of a loved one
Fernside- Supporting Children and Families Through Grief
513-246-9140
Offers groups for children and teens ages 3-18, who are grieving the death of a family member or friend.
