1. Created August 2014
Helping Someone Who Has a
Mental Illness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Presented by NAMI PA, Main Line,
an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness
Please view the final slide for NAMI PA, Main Line contact information
and a link to the complete document this presentation summarizes.
For help in a crisis, go to slide 4.

2. Created August 2014
 What should I do if I or someone I know is having a
mental health crisis? (slide 4)
 What help is available for children/adolescents with mental
illness and their families? (slide 5)
 How can someone with mental illness get government
services such as health insurance, mental health treatment,
and income support? (slide 6)
 How can I find a mental health provider? (slide 7)
(FAQs continued on next slide)

3.  How can an adult with mental illness find housing? (slide 8)
 How can an adult with mental illness find social opportunities or a
support group? (slide 9)
 How can a family member of someone with mental illness find
information, resources, help and/or support? (slide 10)
 What can I do if my loved one with mental illness refuses treatment?
(slide 11)
 What can I do if my loved one with mental illness has been arrested
or is behaving in ways which may result in arrest? (slide 12)
 NAMI PA, Main Line contact information and other resources,
including a link to video FAQ (slide 13)
Created August 2014

4. Immediate Danger
 If there is an immediate danger of physical harm, call 911.

 Otherwise, it may be preferable to call the crisis line for your county. These
crisis lines provide 24/7 access to staff who are specifically trained for dealing
with mental health crises. This may reduce the risk that a mental health crisis
will result in an arrest.
• For crisis line numbers in the Philadelphia area, visit:
www.NAMIpaMainLine.org/crisis-numbers
• If you are outside the Philadelphia area, you can call a national hotline (800-
273-8255) to be referred to the closest crisis center.
• Additional advice on coping with a crisis and preventing a crisis is available
in #1 in:
www.NAMIpaMainLine.org/info-resources/frequently-asked-questions
Created August 2014

5.  Mental illness in children/adolescents can have different
symptoms/require different treatment than in adults.
 For general information:
www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=child_and_teen_support
www.namiswpa.org/content/index.php
(click on Namipedia, and then “Mental Illness in Children and Teenagers”)
 For additional general information and Philadelphia area information,
go to item #2 in:
www.NAMIpaMainLine.org/info-resources/frequently-asked-
questions/
Created August 2014

6.  Government services include the following:
• Disability income from the Social Security Administration;
• Medicaid and/or Medicare health insurance
• Community mental health services provided by each county
(housing, etc.).
 For more information about these services, go to:
www.NAMIpaMainLine.org/info-resources/how-to-get-services/
Created August 2014

7.  For advice about choosing and working with a mental health provider,
links to find free or low-cost services, and information about providers
in the Philadelphia area , etc., go to item #4 in:
www.NAMIpaMainLine.org/info-resources/frequently-asked-
questions/
Created August 2014

8.  Options for housing include rent subsidies or supervised apartments,
or group housing. Unfortunately, housing for low-income individuals
with mental illness is in very short supply and waiting lists can be
very long, so it is helpful to apply as early as possible.
 For more information, including help to find housing in the
Philadelphia area, go to item #5 in:
www.NAMIpaMainLine.org/info-resources/frequently-asked-
questions/
Created August 2014

9.  Social opportunities for people with mental illness include:
• One-on-one socializing with a volunteer/mental health worker;
• Group social events;
• Drop-in centers (activities in a social setting);
• Clubhouses (structured rehabilitation programs); and
• Online support groups, etc.
 For more info about specific resources nationally and in the
Philadelphia area, go to item #6 in:
www.NAMIpaMainLine.org/info-resources/frequently-asked-
questions/
Created August 2014

10.  The National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) has State chapters
with affiliated regional chapters. Most NAMI affiliates offer these two
free education programs:
• Family-to-Family: 12 weeks, for family/caregivers of adults; and
• Basics: 6 weeks, for parents/caregivers of children/adolescents.
For additional information about these two programs, visit:
www.NAMIpaMainLine.org/support/family-to-family-education-
basics-programs/
 NAMI affiliates also provide information/referrals to relevant
resources and offer support groups for family members.
Created August 2014

11.  People with mental illness often suffer from anosognosia, which is the
inability to see their illness.
 One approach to helping a person with anosognosia accept treatment
is LEAP, which stands for:
Listen, Empathize, Agree, and Partner
 Sometimes, when a person has a serious and potentially life-
threatening psychiatric emergency, a court will order treatment
without the individual’s consent.
 For more information on both approaches, go to item #8 in:
www.NAMIpaMainLine.org/info-resources/frequently-asked-
questions/
Created August 2014

12.  Suggestions for preventing arrest, information on criminal justice
system procedures, advice relating to individuals with mental illness,
and specific information for the Philadelphia area are available at:
www.NAMIpaMainLine.org/info-resources/criminal-justice-
resources/
 If someone is having a mental health crisis, call 911 if there is
immediate danger of physical harm; otherwise, see item #1 in:
www.NAMIpaMainLine.org/info-resources/frequently-asked-
questions/
Created August 2014

13. Created August 2014
Presented by NAMI PA, Main Line
an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness
www.NAMIpaMainLine.org
info@NAMIpaMainLine.org
To find your local affiliate visit:
www.NAMI.org
The complete document this presentation summarizes can be found at:
www.NAMIpaMainLine.org/info-resources/frequently-asked-questions/
Another helpful FAQ is available at
www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Frequently_Asked_Questions.
For general FAQ in video format, go to
www.namiswpa.org/content/index.php and
click on NAMIpedia.
All information is current as of publication date; please let us know if you encounter broken hyperlinks.