Get Help & Resources

Getting Help

If you believe your loved one is acutely mentally ill:

If you believe that someone is, at present, likely to cause harm to themselves or others due to their mental illness, you may come into the Bexar County Clerk Mental Health Office located at 300 Dolorosa, 78205 in the basement across from the Central Jury Room to complete an Application for Emergency Apprehension and Detention.

The applicant must be 18 years of age or older and must have first-hand knowledge of the person’s behavior, and state that they have reason to believe that, because of recent behavior and disturbing acts, the ward shows evidence of mental illness and is an imminent danger to themselves or others. The applicant must be willing to sign a notarized statement about the behavior. 

For any questions, please call the Bexar County Clerk Mental Health Office at 210-335-2536.

If you're a guardian of an acutely mentally ill ward:

A guardian has the authority to transport a ward to a mental health facility and apply for a preliminary psychiatric examination and emergency detention, without a warrant, to determine if the ward meets the commitment criteria for inpatient psychiatric services.

The guardian must file an application for the preliminary examination with the mental health facility. The applicant must state that they have reason to believe that, because of recent behavior and disturbed acts, the ward shows evidence of mental illness and is an imminent danger to themselves or others. However, the guardian does not have the right to commit the ward for inpatient services; they are only permitted to transport them into a mental health facility. This does not apply to wards who are minors.

If you're the parent/guardian and your child/ward is a minor who may be acutely mentally ill:

A parent, managing conservator, or guardian of a minor may consent to the voluntary admission of the ward to an inpatient mental health facility.