P_C-
The psychology department at out school runs a community service program. Long story short, you get to talk to actual trained professionals on a sliding scale which would place low income folk like you and I at 10 dollars a visit, and off the record they go even lower than that if you explain how fucked you are. I'm sure they'd pick you up quickly. They can't do meds, but UNLIKE the people actually distributing medication on the opposite side of campus (which is free, and where I landed personally), they understand the human mind and focus on that.
While I think you could benefit from inpatient, you don't sound all that interested. I've been locked up in both places you are looking, the ER leads you to the psych ward floor, which is less coushey but a much MUCH shorter stay. That private place you called- they will only take you IF they have space, and they are always full with people with $, I got the only open slot on the kid floor when I was accepted- and I had to wait at the hospital for a week first (a week after coming out of the coma), THEN was transferred. They then proceeded to milk my insurance dry and kept me prisoner there until I ran out of coverage three months later.
It is SLIGHTLY more comfortable environment - you will still be sharing a shitty room with another person, only the super rich get private rooms- degree of fuckin-off-the-wall does not matter, you could very well find yourself in the lucky room with 'the screamer' who shrieks her self to sleep every night reliving a rape until the guards come in and jab a needle in her ass to put her lights out..(I got the room across the hall from her, lucky me, nice show to go to sleep to every night)...*ahem* but I digress.. a show like that can make you appreciate your own sanity all the more, but it will cost you and even if you ARE better, they won't let you go until your funding is dry, you will be a prisoner at the private place. You are money in their pocket. At the normal ER place, you are more a number, and they want you stable, out the door and not taking up bed space as quickly as possible.
I recommend you call the place at school. The one located in the psych department building, not the bullshit I'm dealing with in the Tetris complex. They actually care and aren't in it for the money.
....and fuck catholic charities, fuck them right in the ear.......though I admit I have misguided hate towards their operation because they were the ones who buzzed me in past bullet proof glass for supervised visitation with my mom behind a see through mirror. The last thing you need now is some bible thumper telling you that you'll go to hell if you kill yourself though
Schools closed today... hit me if you want to get out of the house... *hug* don't be crazy