A Crisis Care Continuum for Children and Adolescents: The Boston Medical Center Model.

Children and adolescents experiencing behavioral health crises and their families often rely on emergency systems, including 911, law enforcement, and emergency medical services. Health care systems are increasingly partnering with emergency systems to ensure that youth and families are connected with urgent behavioral health care in the community, avoiding unnecessary emergency department visits and interactions with law enforcement. This article describes the pediatric behavioral health crisis care continuum developed at Boston Medical Center, the largest safety-net hospital in New England, and situates this model within the existing evidence base on youth crisis response.