Boston Emergency Services Team | BEST Team Boston

Boston Emergency Services Team

The BEST team, under the leadership of Boston Medical Center and with the support of the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership, provides 24/7 crisis response and emergency mental health services to children, adolescents and adults in Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Revere, Somerville and Winthrop communities. This team includes bilingual responders to serve all the residents in our communities, providing access to a comprehensive, highly integrated system of crisis evaluation and treatment services.

BEST Team Boston crisis line | 800-981-4357 or 800-981-HELP

If you or someone in your family is in crisis, please call 800-981-4357 for guidance. This toll-free number can be used 24 hours a day, seven days a week to obtain services. Staff at the 800-981-HELP Call Center will provide support, information, referral, or arrange an in-person evaluation.  The Call Center will dispatch mobile clinicians to intervene at the site of the crisis unless a different setting is requested by a family or if the containment of a more secure setting is required.

WHAT WE OFFER:

• Immediate information & referrals
• Psychiatric evaluation
• Crisis intervention and treatment (including psychopharmacology medication)
• Referral for ongoing treatment

Finding Emergency Mental Health Services

Our locations

The Urgent Care Centers

Urgent Care Centers are located at the Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center at Boston Medical Center and at the Eric Lindemann Mental Health Center.  These sites are an option when mobile evaluations are not desired and the medical support of a hospital Emergency Department is not needed.  The Urgent Care Centers also provide short-term crisis treatment, including psychopharmacology medication support.  The Urgent Care Centers accept walk-in clients and serve both children and adults.  The Urgent Care Centers also house mobile teams that are dispatched to the community for child and adult evaluations.

It is strongly advised that prior to arrival to Urgent Care Center the Call Center be contacted at 800-981-4357.

Designated Emergency Department

There are three Designated Emergency Departments (DED) in the BEST system: Boston Medical Center, Cambridge Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.  These settings provide crisis evaluation and medical screening to those clients who require medical support or a more secure environment.