A crisis plan for after-hours care should include which element?

• A. Emergency contacts
• B. Crisis resources
• C. Access to care after hours
• D. Documentation only

Answer: (C)

Access to care after hours ensures timely help when regular offices are closed. This means there is an actionable pathway to obtain support, triage, or treatment during evenings, nights, weekends, or holidays. A strong plan might include an on-call clinician, a 24/7 phone line, telehealth options, and clear instructions on where to go for urgent care or emergency services. The key is that someone in crisis can quickly connect to a provider who can assess risk, advise next steps, and arrange immediate care if needed. Without this, other elements like emergency contacts or crisis resources, while useful, don’t guarantee that care will be available at the moment it’s needed. Documentation alone won’t connect a person to help in real time. For a crisis plan to function effectively after hours, it must specify how to access care—what contact to use, what time frames to expect responses, and what steps to take if the situation is urgent.