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Hello

I have a sister that is bipolar and needs help.Lately she's been showing signs of suicide.We want to get her help but i dont know where to start since she has no Medical Insurance. I was wondering if you can give me tel numbers of where she can get help in the county of los angeles.


Regards
Myra A

Hello, Myra --

Thank you for writing. Here is a listing of links from Network of Care's Los Angeles County Mental Health Service Directory that may be of assistance:

Emergency Services
http://losangeles.networkofcare.org/mh/emergency.cfm
(ACCESS - (800) 854-7771)

They are trained to ask various questions that will help you assess your sister's condition, and if emergency services are required.

Regarding the insurance issue, this is also the phone number that will help out. The Access line will assist you in finding a doctor and an appointment.

Besides clinical help and support there are also Advocacy groups that can augment what the clinics provide.


For Bipolar Patients, not in an emergency, an excellent resource is attending DBSA, Depression Bipolar Support Alliance, meetings. These are fellow patients, or consumers, who have been there and attend meetings to stay in touch with each other, to better understand the system of care and to learn, and share, coping and recovery techniques:

www.dbsalliance.org

http://www.dbsalliance.org/findsupport.html


The local NAMI offices can provide many educational opportunities as well as a Peer to Peer, and Family to Family program that would help you and your sister understand the dynamics of her illness:

http://losangeles.networkofcare.org/mh/support/index.cfm?id=76


For additional help with health insurance:

http://healthconsumer.org/index.php?id=414


Good luck in your search, and we hope you've found this helpful. If you have any other questions or comments about Network of Care, please don’t hesitate to share them.

Have a great day,
JJ Holoubek
Network of Care

As a starting point for any type of need (counseling, food, housing, employment, etc.) you can always call 2-1-1 and be connected to a referral specialists who will find the appropriate agency or programs in your area that can provide assistance. It's a free call and the operators are trained to assist you.

Well I can not give you any numbers to help you but I can give you some advice from personal experiences. Try telling her all the time how much you love her and try doing fun things with her. Call her at random times and tell her you love her, or ask her out to a fun night on the towm just you girls for no reason at all.