Reaching Out for Help and Preparing for Potential Emergencies

Call 911 if you or your loved one are in immediate danger.

• Be sure to inform the operator that it is a psychiatric emergency if it is, and ask for an officer who is trained in crisis intervention or trained to aid people experiencing a psychiatric emergency.

• Inform law enforcement that HD affects mood, movement, thinking abilities, and behavior control. Advise law enforcement to give the person with HD sufficient time to process questions and respond. Also, officers and other professionals should maintain eye contact with the person with HD, and they should clearly state tasks and commands one at a time. This will help the person with HD to focus and better understand law enforcement. It can also help prevent injustice due to misunderstandings and lack of awareness of HD by law enforcement.

• Please see the resources below for more information about informing law enforcement about HD. Viewing these resources before an incident occurs can help you be prepared in case of an emergency.

Suicide and Other Mental Health Crises:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to speak with a trained crisis counselor and receive free, confidential support available 24/7. 

• Crisis Text Line – Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor and receive free crisis support via text message available 24/7.

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine  –  Call the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-6264 M-F, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., ET for general questions and support, or in a crisis, text NAMI to 741741 for 24/7, confidential, free crisis counseling. You can also email the Helpline or Chat Online.

  • Click here to download "Navigating a Mental Health Crisis," a resource guide provided by NAMI that outlines what can contribute to a crisis, warning signs that a crisis is emerging, strategies to help de-escalate a crisis, available resources, and more.

Child & Adult Protective Services:

• Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline – Call or Text 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) or use the Live Online Chat to receive 24/7 support from professional crisis counselors. The hotline offers crisis intervention, information, and referrals to thousands of emergency, social service, and support resources. All calls, texts, and chats are confidential. For more information by state, please visit the Childhelp website.

• Pennsylvania ChildLine – Call ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313 to report suspected child abuse. Trained specialists are available 24/7 to receive referrals of suspected child abuse and general child well-being concerns. IMPORTANT: ChildLine should only be used for reporting abuse. 

  • Email for general questions related to mandated reporting, or clearances. NOT TO REPORT ABUSE.

• Pennsylvania Adult Protective Services – Call 1-800-490-8505 to report suspected elder abuse or abuse of an adult with a disability. A report can be made on behalf of the adult whether they live in their home or in a care facility, such as a nursing home, group home, hospital, or another facility. Reporters can remain anonymous and have legal protection from retaliation, discrimination, and civil and criminal prosecution. The statewide Protective Services Hotline is available 24/7. For more information by state, please visit the National Adult Protective Services website. 

Sexual Assault:

• National Sexual Assault Hotline – Call 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area and receive free, confidential support. Crisis chat support is also available on the Online Hotline.

Domestic Violence:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline – Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) to speak with trained experts available 24/7 who provide free, confidential support to anyone experiencing domestic violence or seeking resources and information.

• Philadelphia Domestic Violence Hotline – Call 1-866-723-3014 to speak with a trained counselor available 24/7. Counselors can help connect you with free services available in the Philadelphia area, including emergency housing, legal services, and behavioral health services.

• Lutheran Settlement House – Call 215-426-8610 ext. 1236 to speak with someone who can connect victims and survivors of abuse with legal, financial, and social support.

• Click here to download the "Law Enforcement Caregiver Guide" created by HDSA that provides general guidelines for interacting with law enforcement and information about situations that may result in conflict, what to do if your loved one is arrested or detained, and people and organizations that can help you after an arrest.
• Click here to download "My Crisis Template," a form created by HDSA that can be personalized with emergency numbers.

• Click here to download the "I have HD Card: A wallet card with information about HD" created by HDSA.
• Click here to purchase a Huntington's Disease ID Bracelet from HDSA that provides law enforcement and medical professionals with your medical background and emergency contact information.
• Click here to download the HD Profile Card from HDSA, which is a form that can be personalized with an individual’s photo and identifying information.

• Click here to view "Effective Strategies For Educating Law Enforcement and Medical First Responders About HD," a presentation at the 2016 HDSA National Convention; click here for a summary of the presentation provided by HOPES.

• Click here for a Law Enforcement Training Guide and Fact Sheet provided by HDSA.

National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys – Use the "Find a Lawyer" search tool to find an Elder Law Attorney in your area.