The GRACE Response Quick Guide

When someone you care about is experiencing a mental health crisis, it can be difficult to know what to say, what to do, or how to help without making the moment more overwhelming.

The GRACE Response™ Quick Guide offers a calm, compassionate framework for responding when a child, teenager, family member, friend, or community member is emotionally distressed or in crisis. It helps caring adults slow down, recognize what may be happening, respond with empathy, and take appropriate next steps without trying to become the person’s therapist.

Inside, you’ll learn:

• • How to recognize signs that someone may be emotionally overwhelmed or in crisis
• • How to regulate your own response before stepping in
• • What to say—and what to avoid saying—during a difficult moment
• • How to listen with compassion without minimizing, lecturing, or rushing to fix
• • How to offer practical support while maintaining appropriate boundaries
• • When additional professional or emergency support may be needed
• • How faith, wisdom, and compassionate presence can work together

Created by Estefanía Cruz de Piña, LPC, this concise guide combines clinical understanding, practical response strategies, and a Christian worldview.

You do not have to possess every answer to offer meaningful support. Sometimes grace begins with a calm presence, a compassionate response, and a cup of cold water.