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If you are considering suicide or self-harm — or are concerned about a friend or loved one — help is available.

First, remember that you do not have to face these feelings alone. Talking about your thoughts and feelings can save your life.

Medical professionals at UPMC and other local and national organizations are available to offer free and confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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UPMC Mental Health Emergency Resources

resolve Crisis Services

If you live in Allegheny County and are experiencing mental health issues, you can contact resolve Crisis Services.

resolve is a partnership between UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital and Allegheny County. Services are available 24/7 days at no cost to Allegheny County residents.

You can call if you or a person you care about is suicidal or just feeling overwhelmed and in need of support. No problem is too small to get help.

“Who should call is someone who is starting to feel overwhelmed, starting to feel like they’re not sure what to do next, that their situation in life is getting to be too much,” says Jack Rozel, MD, medical director, resolve Crisis Services. “Whether it’s sadness, anxiety, housing, employment, anything at all that feels like it’s getting to be just too much.

“What we always say is, call before a crisis becomes a crisis.”

resolve has a multidisciplinary staff of 150 people specially trained to work in crisis situations. That includes mobile intervention teams who can come to you if you need help. Mobile teams can go most places in Allegheny County, including to people’s homes or workplaces.

To contact resolve, call 1-888-796-8226. You also can go to resolve’s walk-in crisis center, located at 333 N. Braddock Ave., in Pittsburgh’s East End neighborhood.

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, you can call or text 988 for help. In addition, you can reach mental health professionals online by chatting 988Lifeline.org.

Congress in 2020 designated the number 988 as the dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Think of it as a 911 for mental health distress: Dialing or texting the number puts you in touch with a professional who can provide free and confidential support 24/7. Services at this number are available to anyone in the United States as of 2022.

UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital Emergency Services

UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital is a national leader in mental health care. We offer a wide range of mental health services, including psychiatric emergency services.

Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) is available to people of all ages, 24 hours a day, including walk-ins. No doctor referral is needed. Each patient meets a team of psychiatric experts. The team then works with the individual and family to determine the best options for treatment.

Our services include:

  • Psychiatric or substance abuse evaluations.
  • Separate treatment areas for adolescents/children and adults.
  • Specially trained doctors, nurses, and clinicians.
  • Connections to inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment.
  • Referrals to substance abuse programs.

For more information about PES or to receive care, please call 412-624-1000 or 1-877-624-4100 (toll free). UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital is located at 3811 O’Hara St., in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood.

Emergency care at UPMC

If you are experiencing a life-threatening situation right now, call 911.

UPMC Emergency Medicine can care for any emergency, no matter how big or small.

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, you can visit a UPMC emergency room near you. You’ll get care quickly and from someone who will listen.

National Suicide Prevention Resources

Many different national resources can help you if you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts.

You can reach the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. The lifeline provides free and confidential support 24/7 for people in distress. It also offers resources for those concerned about a loved one. You also can use their online chat.

  • Crisis Text Line: Text TALK to 741-741 to connect with a trained crisis specialist. The service is free and available 24/7.
  • The Trevor Project: If you are LGBTQIA+ and are in crisis, feeling suicidal, or just need someone to talk to, call 1-866-488-7386.
  • Veterans Crisis Line: If you are a veteran in crisis or you’re worried about one, the Veterans Crisis Line can provide confidential help. To speak with a qualified responder, call 1-800-273-8255 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online.

When to Seek Help for Mental Health Emergencies

More than 47,500 Americans died by suicide in 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The suicide rates in the United States increased about 33% from 1999 to 2019. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. and is the second leading cause of death among Americans ages 10 to 34.

According to the CDC, 12 million Americans thought about suicide, 3.5 million made a suicide plan, and 1.4 million attempted suicide in 2019.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, suicide warning signs may include:

  • Talking about being a burden, wanting to die, or having no reason to live.
  • Feelings of emptiness, hopelessness, or being trapped.
  • Severe emotional or physical pain.
  • Feeling guilty or ashamed.
  • Frequent, extreme mood swings.
  • Withdrawing from loved ones.
  • Saying goodbye to loved ones, giving away items, or making a will.
  • Researching ways to die or making a suicide plan.
  • Risky behavior.
  • Extreme changes in eating or sleeping habits.
  • Using drugs or alcohol.

If you or a loved one is struggling with mental health challenges that could lead to suicide, do not wait to get help. It is never too early to reach out to someone who can help.

“If you or someone you care about is starting to feel overwhelmed like you are not sure what to do next, or if you’re just feeling like you need more help, that’s all the threshold it takes to pick up the phone and call us,” Dr. Rozel says. “We have wonderful staff standing by 24/7/365, and we’re eager to find ways to help you and those you care about get through this crisis or any other that you may be facing.”

resolve Crisis Services at UPMC Western Behavioral Health provides 24/7 counseling and support to all Allegheny County residents. Call 1-888-796-8226 or visit our walk-in center at 333 N. Braddock Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15208.

About UPMC Western Behavioral Health

UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital is the hub of UPMC Behavioral Health, a network of community-based programs providing specialized mental health and addiction care for children, adolescents, adults, and seniors. Our mission is to provide comprehensive, compassionate care to people of all ages with mental health conditions. UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital is a nationally recognized leader in mental health clinical care, research, and education. It is one of the nation’s foremost university-based psychiatric care facilities through its integration with the Department of Psychiatry of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. We are here to help at every stage of your care and recovery.