As parents, our number one priority is our child’s safety, but the Emergency Department will generally only admit someone if they feel that the risk of harm to the individual or to others is significant. The ER professionals do a suicide risk assessment. Make sure you ask to provide input to the person doing the assessment, so that they are aware of everything that you are seeing – there may be aspects of your child’s thoughts or behaviours that your child does not consider important, or that they prefer to avoid mentioning. Remember that if your child is not admitted, you still have the mobile crisis teams and 911 available should things escalate when you return home. Suicide assessment is not a perfect science, so if you are concerned, stay vigilant and do not hesitate to take additional action if things change. If your child has no current mental health support and is not admitted to the ER when you feel there is a risk of suicide, then be sure to seek out other professional help. The walk-in clinics at both Crossroads Children’s Centre www.crossroadschildren.ca and Youth Services Bureau www.ysb.on.ca are available to you. The Mental Health Crisis Line can link you with the Local Crisis Team www.crisisline.ca.