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.
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.