If the person is in imminent danger of attempting to commit suicide or of causing harm to himself or others, the staff member should, as calmly as possible, attempt to obtain that person’s name, location (address and nearby landmarks), and contact the police at 911.
If the threat is not imminent, the staff member should still contact 911, but should also suggest that the depressed person contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK; 800-SUICIDE which is linked to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and is easy to remember; or one of the more than 600 municipal, county, or state suicide hotlines in the United States.
The staff member should immediately record the date and time of the contact, the staff member’s name, and that 911 and any other organization was notified, along with the name and address of the caller. This should be done in the form of an Incident Report form.