If you, or someone you know, is an imminent danger to themselves or someone else, go to the nearest emergency room or call 911. If you are on Athens Campus, call OUPD 3.1911 (740.593.1911).
Athens Campus Students
If you are experiencing acute distress or have an urgent need to speak with a counselor:
- Please call CPS at 740.593.1616. During afterhours and on weekends/holidays, press 1 to speak with a counselor.
- Drop-In:During weekdays, please drop-in at Hudson Health Center 3rd floor between 9:45 a.m. and 3:15 p.m.
- Let's Talk Hours: During the Fall and Spring Semesters, please drop-in at the Living Learning Center, Room 160 between the hours of 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., Sunday to Friday.
- You may also consider using the hotlines and textline information at the bottom of this page.
Regional and OHIO Online Students
If you are experiencing acute distress or have an urgent need to speak with a mental health professional:
Learn more about crisis services available for Regional Higer Education and OHIO Online students
Students Traveling Internationally
If you are experiencing a crisis or emergency while traveling internationally on university-related travel:
Learn more about crisis services available for students abroad
Examples of a Crisis or Emergency
- Suicidal thoughts and concern for physical safety
- Experience of a physical or sexual assault
- Hearing voices or experiencing hallucinations
- Recent experience of threat to life or safety
- Death of a loved one
Crisis Resources
If you, or someone you know, is an imminent danger to themselves or someone else, go to the nearest emergency room or call 911.
Hotline Information
- Suicide & Crisis Lifeline : Dial 988
- Military Veterans Crisis Line : Dial 988, (Press 1)
- Suicide Crisis Lifeline in Spanish : Dial 988, (Press 2)
- LGBT Youth Suicide Hotline : 1.866.488.7386
- National Domestic Violence Hotline : 1.800.799.7233
- Support for survivors of sexual assault at Ohio University : 740.597.SAFE (7233)
- Seek help from a local hospital or a local suicide hotline
Crisis Text Line
Text “HOME” to 741-741 Free, 24/7, Confidential
Crisis Text Line serves anyone in any type of crisis, providing them access to free, 24/7 emotional support and information they need via the medium they already use and trust: text. Here’s how it works:
- Someone texts into Crisis Text Line anywhere, anytime, about any type of crisis.
- A live, trained specialist receives the text and responds quickly.
- The specialist helps the person stay safe and healthy with effective, secure counseling and referrals through text message using Crisis Text Line’s platform.
Resources For Faculty and Staff When Concerned About a Student in Crisis
When In Person
Imminent Danger
If a student is an imminent danger to themselves or someone else, call 911. If you are on Athens Campus, call the Ohio University Police Department at 740.593.1911.
Acute Distress
If you are with a student in crisis who is not an imminent danger but does have an urgent need to speak with a counselor:
- You may accompany the student to Hudson Health Center 3rd floor to assist them in doing a drop-in appointment.
- You may call CPS at 740.593.1616 to consult about a student.
After-hours, the student can call 740.593.1616 and press 1 to speak with a counselor (including evenings, weekends, and holidays).
Mild Distress
If you are with a student and the student is not an imminent danger and does not have an urgent need to speak with a counselor, encourage the student to seek services at CPS, provide our phone number (740.593.1616), and direct the student to our website.
When Remote
When a faculty or staff is meeting with a student virtually, a student may show signs of distress. If you are meeting with a student virtually, please follow the instructions below to connect the student with CPS.
Imminent Danger
If the student reports or shows signs of imminent danger to self or others, get their location and call 911 or the Ohio University Police Department at 740.593.1911 (for students on the Athens campus).
Acute Distress
If a student is not in imminent danger but reports and/or appears to be in acute distress (e.g., severely depressed or anxious) or reports to have an urgent need to speak with a counselor, recommend that the student seek counseling services and help them connect with CPS:
- Advise the student of your intent to facilitate a connection with CPS while remaining engaged with the student via screen.
- Instruct the student to contact us via phone at 740.593.1616 while still engaged remotely.
- Once the student makes contact with our office via phone, you may end the remote connection with the student.
- If you have information regarding the student or the situation that could be valuable to clinicians at CPS, you are encouraged to contact our office by phone.
If you are uncertain about referring a student, place them on hold and call CPS office for recommendations.
Mild Distress
In the event the student is presenting with mild distress and may benefit from talking to a counselor, but is not an imminent danger and does not have an urgent need to speak to a counselor, encourage the student to seek services at CPS, provide our phone number (740.593.1616), and direct the student to our website.
Additional CPS Resources to Support Your Students
Faculty and staff are regularly connecting with students, sometimes on a daily basis. As such, they're often the first to notice when a student is experiencing distress.
Explore additional resources through CPS to support your students
CARE Team
Ohio University’s CARE Team, overseen by The Dean of Students, can help support students in crisis who may be at elevated risk of harming themselves or others. You can express your concerns about a student to the CARE Team via an online form, and the CARE Team will coordinate a timely response.
Other Campus Safety Resources
Ohio University offers numerous resources, education, and initiatives to support safety on campus.