Mental health triage is like when you go to a doctor's office and the nurse asks you some questions to figure out how sick you are and how soon you need to see the doctor. But instead of physical health, mental health triage is when a person talks to you about your feelings and thoughts to figure out how much you need help with your mental health.
The person who talks to you is called a mental health triage worker. They will ask you questions such as how you are feeling, if you are having any bad thoughts or if something has happened that is making you feel upset. They will also ask how long you have had these feelings for and if you have had them before.
Based on your answers, the mental health triage worker will decide how urgent your case is. If they think you need help urgently, they may advise you to go to the hospital or call an ambulance. However, if they think you can wait before getting help, they may suggest some resources such as counseling or support groups for you to use.
The goal of mental health triage is to make sure that people get the help they need as soon as possible. By talking to a triage worker, you can get advice and information on how to look after your mental health and feel better.