The National Guidelines for Crisis Care – A Best Practice Toolkit advances national guidelines in
crisis care within a toolkit that supports program design, development, implementation and
continuous quality improvement efforts. It is intended to help mental health authorities, agency
administrators, service providers, state and local leaders think through and develop the structure
of crisis systems that meet community needs. This toolkit includes distinct sections for:
- Defining national guidelines in crisis care;
- Tips for implementing care that aligns with national guidelines; and
- Tools to evaluate alignment of systems to national guidelines.
In preparing this information, we could think of no one better to advise you than people who
have worked successfully with crisis systems of care. Therefore, we based the information in this
toolkit on the experience of veteran crisis system leaders and administrators as well as the
individuals and families who have relied on these supports on their worst days. The interviews in
this report’s addendum showcase the diversity and richness of this expertise and experience.
