UNION COUNTY, Ohio (WSYX) — If your child gets hurt at home, you don’t think twice about calling 911 and getting EMS there. What if there were a service like that for when your child is having a mental health emergency? There is, and one family that made the call is praising the service.

Mental health experts like to talk about “big feelings” when they discuss how kids are coping today. When 11-year-old Odin was having those feelings, it led to conflict and tension at home — and led his father, Josh, to feel like he was losing control.

“When I realized I needed help was when I had exhausted most of my options, and I wanted to revert to something that was going to be ineffective,” he said. “It’s not a matter of just, you know, swatting the kid on the butt to correct him anymore, right?”

So Josh and his wife called the MRSS team, which stands for Mobile Response and Stabilization Services. Just like EMS comes to where your emergency is, so do experts in mental health. A family can call the line and team members will come out within 60 minutes to support the family anywhere they are in the community.

“They came out and not only showed us as parents ways to give him additional support. They worked with him in a way that not only calmed him down, but was able to work through things that he was struggling with.” – Josh

“So it could be a mental health problem, family escalation at home, grief, loss, substance use, you name it, the family can call,” said Elizabeth Aniakawa, with Maryhaven.

In Union County, there were almost 200 calls last year, leading to more than 90 visits by the team.

You can call the MRSS service in your county by dialing 988.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline:

This is a free, confidential, 24/7 service available nationwide.

According to the 988 Lifeline, you can call or text 988 to connect with trained counselors who can provide support, assess the situation, and guide you to appropriate resources.

The Healthy Minds: A Community Conversation on Youth Mental Wellness airs on WSYX-ABC6 Friday, August 15 at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, August 16 at 5:00 p.m.

ABC6 is proud to partner with CAS, Sun Behavioral Health, Acura Marysville, Ohio Education Association, Impact 60 and NAMI Ohio for this program.