Crisis Intervention

A psychological crisis is a life event that one perceives as stressful and during which normal coping mechanisms are insufficient.  Most crisis situations that arise require immediate or same day attention.  Students do not need a pre-scheduled appointment to see a counselor if they have an urgent, emergency situation.  Such crisis situations may include, but are not limited to:

• Extreme sadness or depression
• Extreme panic or anxiety
• Thoughts of self-harm or suicide
• Thoughts of harming someone else
• Death of a loved one, family member or friend
• Experience of a traumatic event
• Experience of odd, bizarre or intrusive thoughts

Never leave a student who is in crisis alone.

Use your classroom telephone to call one of the offices below for assistance.  Or, if the student is safe, you may walk her/him to one of these offices and assist her/him in receiving crisis intervention counseling.  When in doubt, err on the side of making a call for crisis intervention.

The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) at Saddleback College is composed of professional counselors from the Student Health Center and the Division of Counseling and Special Programs.  The CIT counselors are available to assist when a Saddleback College student or staff member experiences an on-campus emergency and is in need of immediate help.

• If you or a student has a crisis situation, call the CIT at (949) 582-4606 or (949) 582-4572.
• If you are on campus and need assistance after CIT hours or on weekends, call the Campus Police at (949) 582-4444 or *80 from any campus pay phone.

Important Numbers for Crisis Intervention

       When to Immediately Call Campus Police

• You or another person is in immediate danger.
• You believe that a student is about to harm her/himself.
• A student is out of control and is disrupting the classroom.