Facts at a Glance

How It Works:
EMPS is available to all Connecticut residents and can be accessed by dialing 2-1-1 and, at the prompt, pressing "1" for "crisis." Callers are connected to a crisis specialist who triages the call and transfers to a local EMPS provider who gathers information in order to dispatch a trained mental health clinician to the location of the child/youth, arriving no more then 45 minutes.

Following the initial crisis, the clinician and other members of the EMPS team will meet with the family for up to six weeks, develop a Crisis Safety Plan, and connect them with additional mental and behavioral health resources within the community.

Hours of Operation:
Trained Mental Health Clinicians are available to be dispatched to the home or community for a face to face evaluation within 45 minutes from 9 am to 10 pm, Monday through Friday, and 1 pm to 10 pm on weekends and holidays. Additionally, they are available immediately to talk by phone and evaluate the situation, 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.

Who is it for?
EMPS is available for any family who has a child 0-18 years old, who is experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis.

When to Call:
Dial when a child in your care is:

• Having a behavioral crisis that's too much to handle on your own.
• Uncommunicative to you.
• Out of control or destroying property.
• At risk of acting violently or dangerously.
• At risk of threatening to hurt him/herself or others.

What will happen:

• You will be connected to a trained EMPS counselor.
• EMPS will help resolve the crisis immediately over the phone or will come immediately to your location.
• EMPS responds 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Services are confidential, and there is no cost to the family.