HOW TO RECOGNIZE AN EMERGENCY/CRISIS
Increased Stress
College often brings a higher level of stress – academic, relationships, family, work.  While most students are capable of handling stress, some find that even a small ‘crisis’ event can trigger a need for intervention. 

Foggy Morning

Some tips on identifying an urgent need
Here are some behaviors that may indicate the need for intervention of a professional counselor:

• Serious grade problems or a change from consistently good grades to poor performance
• Excessive absences
• Unusual or exaggerated emotional responses inappropriate to the situation
• A depressed mood; being excessively active and/or talkative; marked change in personal hygiene; falling asleep inappropriately

The following behaviors are typically present in persons in extreme crisis and in need of immediate professional care:

• highly disruptive behavior
• inability to communicate clearly, disjointed thoughts, slurred speech
• loss of contact with reality
• overtly suicidal thoughts
• homicidal threats

How to respond

• Talk privately
• Describe the behavior that concerns you
• Be a good listener and communicate understanding of both thoughts and feelings
• Avoid judgments or criticism
• Regard the information as confidential

When to refer

• When you don’t feel qualified to handle the problem
• When the person is reluctant to discuss the problem with you
• When you feel you are overwhelmed and stressed yourself

Remember: Except in situations where there is danger present (to the individual or someone else), the decision to accept or reject a referral is up to the individual.