Ok, I know of two sides to this.

First, is that of the PTSD sufferer. I have had to go to the ER a good handful of times due to extreme anxiety and panic. Each time, I am hooked up to an EKG just to make sure there is nothing wrong with my heart that is causing the palpatations, (and of course my heart is always fine), then I have to wait there for over two hours while they do a pregnancy test (even though I tell them that I am 100% certain that I'm not pregnant), and then I am given 4-6 mg of Ativan and told not to drive home, (which of course I do because there is no other way for me to get my car home). Yes, this is frustrating. No, it does not help long term. However, on to the other side of this...

I was in a long term relationship with a resident (now fellow) a few years back. Their case load is insane, and they have to juggle MANY patients at once, and admitting is especially difficult. In a sense, their job is more like triage than anything else. They take care of the main emergency at hand, (as it is an ER), and don't have time for much else. Good hospitals with have social workers available to discuss long term care, but depending on what time the patient comes in, they may not be available. Brief example: My ex, H, had a patient who was poor and had no way to get home. The paperwork in order to get this guy services was just so immense and no social worker was available, so H gave him $40 to get a cab.

Most hospitals do give patients a printout of what they should do for _____, and perhaps that is something you can suggest if it is not already done. As for getting to the heart of the issue right there in the ER, I'm afraid that's a losing battle.