Emergency situations are rare and can be uncertain or clearly dangerous. The primary campus resources for responding to mental health student emergencies are the Counseling Center (uncertain situations) and the UCA Police Department (clearly dangerous).
Generally, a psychological emergency involves one or more of the following conditions:
- A suicidal or homicidal attempt, gesture, threat, or stated intention
- Behavior posing a threat to self or others
- Loss of contact with reality
- Inability to care for oneself
In situations of imminent danger, immediate and decisive action is necessary.
- Stay calm and call 9ll from a campus phone and provide as clear a description of the situation as possible
- Use non-confrontational speech and try to defuse the situation
- Do not mention disciplinary action or police intervention
In the event of an ambiguously dangerous situation
- Stay calm and provide a quiet, private place for the student to rest while further steps are taken
- If the student appears to be dangerous to self or others, do not leave the student unattended
- Phone consultation with a Counseling Center staff member is available at 450-3138 during working hours
- You can walk the student over to the Counseling Center for an emergency consultation or appointment during the hours of 8:00 am – 4:30 pm.