Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers 71 SUICIDE IN CHILDREN AND YOUTH: A GUIDE FOR PARENTS Helpful people that my child trusts in the event of an emergency (names and phone numbers) (For example, these would be helpful people that could help persuade him/her to get help, accompany you to the hospital, etc.) If you have young children that cannot be left alone at home: What child care could I use to take care of those young children in case I had to accompany my child to the hospital? Name of Power of Attorney (if applicable) (consider a power of attorney if your child is aged 16 and above) Additional Comments for Action Plan Here are some additional things to know if you are going to the hospital emergency room (in response to suicidal or violent episodes): • If possible, it is best to have your relative go to the hospital willingly, as opposed to forcing your relative to go. • If your relative will not listen to you, ask someone else whom he or she trusts to convince him or her to go to the hospital. • Try to offer your relative a sense of control, by giving limited choices, such as "Will you go to the hospital with me, or would you prefer to go with John?" This gives your relative more of a sense of being a part of the plan. • If the hospital decides to discharge your relative home, but you feel that your relative should be admitted for his or her safety, you can tell the physician in charge that you do not feel that it is safe to take the person home. Recognize that mental health professionals in an emergency room deal with mental health crises regularly, so they may have a higher tolerance for mental health distress than you. Nonetheless, you can still ask the professional to explain to you why he or she feels that the decision is a safe one, and for advice on how to deal with things should your relative go home. ■
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