Emergency & Crisis Services Consultation

Beginning Spring 2025, MC3 will offer no-cost child psychiatry consultations to providers at select emergency department (ED) partner sites in Michigan.

Consultations

Psychiatrists are available through phone consultations to offer guidance on diagnostic questions, medication recommendations, and appropriate behavioral interventions for patients up to age 21. Your regional MC3 Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC), a master’s prepared licensed clinician, is also available to provide recommendations for local resources.

These experienced clinicians are available for phone consultations to offer guidance on:

Evaluation and diagnosis
Psychopharmacologic and non-pharmacologic management of behaviors and psychiatric conditions
Suicide risk assessment and safety planning
Communication and counseling strategies
Community resources

The MC3 team, including Regional BHCs, will work closely with ED staff to coordinate the consultation.

Who can participate?

Prescribing ED health care providers at select partner sites who are treating patients up to age 21 are eligible to request child psychiatry consultations from MC3.

How do consultations work?

ED provider orders consultation.
ED provider or delegate submits an online consult request using a secure form.
MC3 psychiatrist calls the treating ED provider to provide consultation.
MC3 BHC sends a summary of the recommendations to the ED provider.
MC3 BHC is available to discuss post-discharge resources.

Consult requests can be submitted online anytime, but will be returned during our business hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. Submissions made after 4 p.m. ET on weekdays, on weekends, or on holidays will be addressed the next business day.

What is included?

These services are intended to support health care professionals who are caring for young people during a behavioral crisis in the emergency department.

MC3 will also consult on patients who have behavioral needs who are primarily being seen in the ED for physical health concerns.

MC3 will consult on patients who are in juvenile detention or incarcerated.

MC3 will consult on all patients whether it is their first acute crisis, or their condition is chronic.

When ED patients have stays that exceed 24 hours (i.e., “boarding”), MC3 can provide follow-up consultation to offer additional recommendations, as needed, throughout the patient’s ED encounter.

What is NOT included?

MC3 does not provide direct evaluation or treatment for ED patients.

MC3’s consultation to ED providers is not intended to replace existing behavioral resources.

Screening or disposition services provided by CMH will remain the responsibility of CMH.

MC3 will not address how to transfer patients to Michigan Medicine psychiatric unit/services or facilitate a “back door” to those services.

MC3 does not provide consultation on ED patients after discharge, however MC3 can provide consultation to the treating outpatient provider such as the primary care provider.

MC3 will not consult on the physical health management of acute intoxication or withdrawal but can aid with behavioral or psychiatric presentations related to substance use, either acute or chronic.

Related educational recordings

Aggression and Behavioral Dysregulation (presented by Nasuh Malas, M.D., M.P.H., published in Spring 2024)

Suicidal and Non-Suicidal Self-Injurious Behavior (presented by Alejandra Arango, Ph.D., published in Spring 2024)

Trauma-Informed Care (presented by Alyse Folino Ley, D.O., published in Spring 2024)

Identification, Assessment, and Management of Mental Health in Minoritized Children and Adolescents (presented by Lisa Lowery, M.D., M.P.H. on 6/21/23)

The Brief Side of Historical Trauma & Native Communities in Michigan (presented by Michelle Leask, M.A. on 7/19/23)

This resource is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award (Award Number: 2 U4CMC32321-06-01) totaling $1,016,880 with 20% financed with State of Michigan resources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.