Emergency Services
In an emergency: Call 911
Individuals experiencing mental health crisis require immediate help. Assistance can be accessed by:
- Calling 911.
- Going to the Emergency Department of Atlantic General Hospital or Peninsula Regional Medical Center.
- Calling the Crisis Hotline (410-749-HELP).
Crisis Response Services
The Crisis Response Team (CRT) provides an effective, rapid response to critical situations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. CRT is accessed through Worcester County 911 services and directly by other public agencies who work directly with the crisis team.
Services are directed toward adults, children and adolescents, and families who are in Worcester County and are experiencing severe, acute symptoms of mental illness or emotional disorder, including risk of suicide, risk of danger to others, and mental health emergencies related to alcohol or drug abuse or addiction.
Appropriate services are provided to individuals who have suffered recent trauma, those who are experiencing overt psychotic symptomatology and victims of physical and sexual abuse. All these individuals experience a high degree of acute psychological stress, limited personal resources to deal with the stress and may well be dangerous to self or to others. They are generally considered to be in crisis and may suffer serious psychological and/or physical harm. These individuals require prompt, professional intervention.
Types of situations requiring immediate crisis intervention include:
- Acute suicidal situations
- Victims of violent behavior
- Violent behavior relating to a mental illness
- Significant depression or anxiety
- Acute mental illness and/or psychosis
- Acute child and adolescent problems
Outpatient Crisis Services include:
Safety assessments
De-escalation of mental health crisis
Linkage to community resources
Diversions to least restrictive care settings
Critical incident stress management
Emergency Departments
Peninsula Regional Medical Center's Emergency Department, located out of the county in Salisbury, Md., is the designated site for Emergency Psychiatric Evaluations. Psychiatrists are on-call to assist individuals who access the Emergency Department with mental health crisis. These psychiatrists have access to the acute mental health unit at the medical center. The hospital is located at 100 E. Carroll St., Salisbury, MD 21801. Phone: 410-546-6400.
Atlantic General Hospital, located in Berlin, works with the CRT to provide care for individuals with acute mental health crisis. The hospital is located at 9733 Healthway Drive, Berlin, MD. Phone: 410-641-1100.
Crisis Hotline: (410) 749-HELP
Manned 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, the Crisis Hotline is always available. Hotline staff is specially trained to assist individuals in crisis. The Hotline works with the CRT to provide on site services when needed. It also assists individuals in reaching other mental health resources.
Emergency Evaluations
Individuals who are at risk of harming themselves or others may require an emergency evaluation. This evaluation may be voluntary or involuntary.
Involuntary evaluations are requested through the completion of an emergency petition that requires that the individual petitioned be escorted by law enforcement to the state designated emergency site. For Worcester County, this site is Peninsula Regional Medical Center. Petitions may be completed by those given the authority under state regulations. Other persons, family members or community individuals, may request an emergency evaluation petition through the court.
If the evaluation finds the individual at risk of hurting themselves or someone else, they are admitted to an acute psychiatric inpatient treatment setting.
Advanced Directives
Those individuals with a serious and persistent mental illness may complete an Advanced Directive. This document contains instructions and permission for their care during an acute incident of their illness. This document should be developed with the assistance of family members and professionals familiar with the individuals' concerns.
Eastern Shore Operations Center (ESOC) 1-888-407-8018
Serves as the behavioral health emergent, urgent information and referral call center for all nine counties of the Eastern Shore: Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester Counties. The ESOC is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to assess and respond to calls from consumers, family members, community members, businesses and human services agencies. ESOC staff provides linkage to community resources through referral to all appropriate and existing behavioral health and human services.