The National Guidelines for Child and Youth Behavioral Health Crisis Care offers best practices to address gaps in crisis services , emphasizing home- and community-based crisis response, family engagement, and culturally appropriate services. SAMHSA encourages youth crisis systems to:
- Prioritize keeping youth in their homes and communities.
- Provide developmentally appropriate care that recognizes youth-specific needs.
- Incorporate family and youth peer support in service planning and delivery.
- Ensure crisis response services are equitable, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed.
These principles align with the National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care – Best Practice Toolkit, reinforcing a recovery-focused, trauma-informed approach to crisis intervention.
