The essence of an emergency room mental health evaluation should be to arrive at a diagnosis, especially if one is not already known, and to get help with treatment and resources.

Even walls in a patient’s room need to be softer, to cushion the blow of a banging head. In fact, each patient room can cost around $1 million, a steep price tag many hospitals can’t afford ...

Law enforcement and emergency medical services can transport patients in mental health crises to a local emergency room if they are deemed dangers to themselves or others, a process law ...