When a loved one experiences a mental health crisis, families often become first responders by default—supporting safety, navigating fragmented systems, and making urgent decisions under extraordinary pressure and with limited information. This panel places family caregivers at the heart of the conversation, integrating real-time crisis data with lived experience, clinical expertise, and policy insights to illuminate what families truly need when mental health emergencies strike. Drawing on evidence-informed insights, clinical experience, real-world caregiver perspectives, and data from the Caregiver Crisis Text Line, the conversation will highlight barriers family caregivers face—from stigma and limited resources to gaps in crisis response systems—and share practices that can strengthen caregiver resilience, advance policies that support family caregivers, protect and strengthen family networks, and reduce trauma during and after crisis events. This multidisciplinary approach ensures participants gain not only clinical and policy perspectives but also data-driven insights into how crises actually unfold for families—what they’re searching for in desperate moments, where systems fail them, and what interventions make a measurable difference. The session will close with actionable recommendations for communities, providers, and advocates working to ensure caregivers are recognized, supported, and empowered in moments when they are needed most.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify emerging trends in caregiver needs during mental health emergencies using insights and trends from the Caregiver Crisis Text Line.
2. Recognize barriers within crisis response systems and articulate actionable steps for improving collaboration between caregivers, clinicians, crisis teams, and community supports.
3. Describe evidence-based strategies that strengthen supports for family caregivers before, during, and after a crisis as well as resource gaps.