Ten Guidelines for Immediate Care of a Student Dealing with a Crisis

1. Hear out the person. You should be sure, through good reflective listening, that you understands what the advisee is thinking and feeling. This will help the advisee, and it will help you decide what should be done.
2. Decide if the advisee is in crisis. Based upon what you have heard, decide whether this is a temporary, situational crisis, or whether the advisee is in true crisis, by determining whether the advisee has unsuccessfully used typical coping mechanisms, feels tension and anxiety, feels helpless to solve the problem without help, and has experienced the problem for some time.
3. Take the person seriously. No matter how trivial or unimportant the problem may seem to you, it is extremely important to the person "in crisis" and who wants help that you take the problem seriously too. The perception that one is in crisis feels as real as an actual life threatening crisis.
4. Keep calm. Even if what you are being told or see frightens or upsets you (and it probably will), do everything in your power to remain outwardly calm. The advisee needs a person who, upon seeing or hearing the problem, does not panic or reach the same emotional state as s/he is in. You should attempt to remain steady, calm, and rational. Note that being calm and rational does not mean that you should not show and express care and concern.
5. Stick with the advisee. Your physical presence and willingness to stay with the advisee will have a powerful impact. Keep the person active--talking, walking, anything to keep the person involved in the problem and give you opportunities to remain engaged with the advisee.
6. GET HELP. Do not try to be a hero and handle the crisis alone. Always call for help from your CA, CR and/or Campus Police.
7. Avoid interpretation. Crisis intervention is not the time for you to practice psychotherapy or to attempt to help the person to solve the causes of the crisis. "Psychologizing" is likely to do more harm than good and elevate your advisee's extreme emotional state.
8. Encourage venting of feelings. Emotional catharsis (venting of feelings) may help to defuse the immediate crisis. Crying, shouting, talking, punching a pillow, etc. may help the immediate crisis to pass and provide time for help to arrive.
9. Avoid arguing. You should not argue with your advisee about behaviors s/he may threaten. Doing so will just arouse anger and defensiveness.
10. Follow up. Your job is not done once you have made the referral. Unless you are instructed by CAPS (or similar professionals) otherwise, your continued emotional support of the advisee will likely be very important to him or her. In most cases, once your advisee has established a relationship with medical or counseling services it will no longer be appropriate for you to provide informal counseling with the advisee on that issue. But it will remain appropriate for you to be available as a caring friend.

(Adapted p. 139-141, Residence Hall Assistants in College, M. Lee Upcraft, Jossey-Bass, 1982).