988 vs 911: What Every Family Needs to Know

You guys, this one hit different. We sat down with Ashleigh, a social worker who has worked the 988 crisis line, conducted 5150 evaluations, and now serves as a medical social worker helping patients and families through some of the hardest moments of their lives. If mental health has touched your family in any way, this episode is for you.

Key topics covered:

• What 988 is, why it exists, and why more people need to know about it before they dial 911 on a loved one in crisis
• The three criteria that determine whether someone can be placed on a psychiatric hold, even if they don't want help
• What really happens during a 5150 evaluation, including how holds stack and why they stay on your record
• Why the holiday season is not the only high risk period. Anniversaries and grief dates hit just as hard
• The mental health stigma inside Black and older communities and why "she prayed her way through it" is not a treatment plan
• Caregiver burnout and what happens when families drop loved ones at the hospital and walk away
• The emotional toll on the workers themselves, and the moment that brought a coworker to tears

About Ashleigh: Ashleigh holds a Master's in Social Work, earned during the pandemic while raising two kids. She has served as a case developer for guardianship and guardianship disputes, worked the 988 crisis response team at the county level, conducted psychiatric evaluations, and now works as a medical social worker navigating some of the most complex patient cases in a hospital setting. 

This week's CTA: If someone in your life is in a mental health crisis, save 988 in your phone right now. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

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