Ozark Center Crisis Intervention Services offers 24/7 support to people of all ages and backgrounds who are experiencing a personal, emotional or mental health crisis. Individuals can receive private, caring assessments and evaluations through:
- Brief phone consultation or counseling
- Messaging service
- Face-to-face intervention
Call 417.347.7720 or 800.247.0661 to speak to a mental health professional now. Translation and TTY/TDD services are available. For messaging service, text REGISTER to 720-7-TXTOZK (720.789.8695).
Ozark Center Crisis Services include:
- 24-hour help line, brief phone counseling, education, information and referrals
- 24-hour messaging service available via text message or web interface
- Face-to-face mobile response team assessment and evaluation
When you call our crisis services help line, you will always speak with a trained, compassionate and nonjudgmental mental health professional. Our crisis counselors strive to help you gain immediate emotional relief, discover new life skills and develop solutions.
When should you call the crisis line?
- A friend or family member talks about death, dying or suicide
- You experience:
- Suicidal thoughts
- Self-destructive behavior
- Family or relationship problems
- Child and adolescent parenting problems
- Chemical dependency or substance use issues
- Domestic situations involving violence or threats of violence to others
- Shelter or housing needs
- Acute psychiatric crises, including severe, prolonged depression, anxiety or panic attacks; psychosis; hallucinations; paranoia; mania; sleeplessness; mood swings; rage or eating disorders
- For short-term counseling needs
- For information about prevention, resources or referrals for behavioral health services in our area
Ozark Center Urgent Behavioral Solutions
An urgent care for behavioral health issues, Ozark Center Urgent Behavioral Solutions (UBS) is the first and only program of its kind in the area. It offers an alternative to the emergency room and saves time and money for individuals age 16 and up who have significant behavioral health symptoms. Click here to learn more.
Community Crisis Training Opportunities
Ozark Center Crisis Services offers many suicide prevention training opportunities throughout the year. Please call 417.347.7600 for more information.
Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health First Aid USA (MHFA USA) course is designed to increase mental health literacy, decrease stigmatizing attitudes in our communities, and encourage people to seek assistance for any potential mental health problem. Certified MHFA USA Instructors teach the 12-hour course and instruct nonclinically trained individuals who don’t specialize in mental health how to give first aid to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis situation or who are in the early stages of a mental health disorder.
Participants learn the signs and symptoms of the most common mental health problems, where and when to get help, and what type of help is effective. The fee for the class is $30 and includes a training manual.
Question, Persuade, Refer - Gatekeepers for Suicide Prevention
Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR) are simple steps that anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade and refer someone to help.
In this 1-hour course, individuals learn to recognizethe warning signs of suicide and how to apply steps that can save lives. Each participant receives a QPR booklet and card with information on suicide prevention, in addition to resource information for treatment providers and support groups within their community.
Question, Persuade, Refer, Treat for Professionals
Question, Persuade, Refer, Treat (QPRT) is an 8-hour course that introduces professionals to suicide risk assessment from a medical, psychological and legal perspective. QPRT is the standard suicide risk assessment and safety plan integrated into medical treatment and referral plans. Students will enjoy increased competence and confidence in the assessment and management of those at risk for suicide.
Additionally, students will learn:
- Suicide risk assessment documentation
- Clinical decision making
- Skills to conduct a suicide risk assessment
- Standardized suicide risk assessment production
Counseling on reducing the Access to Lethal Means
Suicide is the 10th most common cause of death for those of all ages, and the 3rd leading cause of death for young people ages 15-24 in Missouri. Preventing these suicides is a very complex puzzle that requires all of us to work collaboratively to complete the picture. One piece of that puzzle that has proven effective is reducing access to lethal means–particularly firearms and medications.
Access Crisis Intervention
Anyone is welcome to call the Ozark Center Crisis line, but if you live outside our service area and would prefer someone local, other agencies throughout Missouri provide similar services. You can see their names and crisis line phone numbers here.
