Behavioral Emergencies

A behavioral emergency is defined as a situation in which a client presents as being at imminent risk of behaving in a way that could result in serious harm or death to self or others. Discerning a behavioral emergency requires careful evaluation. Once an evaluation uncovers an imminent risk, therapists are required to respond immediately to prevent any harm from occurring. The teaching examples presented in this video illustrate a course of action for swift and thoughtful decision-making in a stressful situation, demonstrate how to cope with stress that may result from such situations, and help distinguish a behavioral emergency from a behavioral crisis. In this video Dr. Phillip Kleespies evaluates and manages a behavioral crisis that could develop into an emergency if not given appropriate clinical attention with a middle-aged man who is considering suicide. This video features a client portrayed by an actor on the basis of a composite of case details.