Mental Health Emergency
A mental health emergency is a life-threatening situation in which an individual is imminently threatening harm to self or others, severely disorientated or out of touch with reality, has a severe inability to function, or is otherwise distraught and out of control.
Examples:
- Acting on a suicide threat
- Homicidal or threatening behavior
- Self-injury needing immediate medical attention
- Severely impaired by drugs or alcohol
- Highly erratic or unusual behavior that indicates very unpredictable behavior and/or an inability to care for themselves.
In case of a Mental Health or Medical Emergency:
Contact University Police at 716 -716-878-6333
Mental Health Crisis
A mental health crisis is a non-life threatening (no-evidence of imminent threat of harm to self or others, no evidence of a medical emergency) situation in which an individual is exhibiting extreme emotional disturbance or behavioral distress, considering harm to self or others, disoriented or out of touch with reality, has a compromised ability to function, or is otherwise agitated and unable to be calmed.
Examples:
- Making statements that indicate thoughts of death/suicide with no statement of plan or intent to take action
- Self- injury, but not needing immediate medical attention
- Alcohol or substance abuse
- Highly erratic or unusual behavior
- Eating disorders
- Not taking their prescribed psychiatric medications
- Emotionally distraught, very depressed, angry, or anxious
In case of a Mental Health Crisis:
Call the Buffalo State University Counseling Center and request an urgent consult with a counselor (716) 878-4436. You may also walk the student directly to the Counseling Center which is located on the second floor of the Weigel Health Center.
To refer students for counseling (if not in crisis), encourage them to call the above number to schedule an appointment. They may also walk into the office to schedule an appointment.
Fall and Spring Semester Hours: M-F 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., summer and winter break hours M-F 8:30-4:30.
An additional option for non-life-threatening situations is Dean of Students Online Student of Concern Reporting form
You may also call the Dean of Students office at (716) 878-4618
In addition to mental health concerns, Dean of Students can assist with financial concerns, food insecurity, homelessness, academic advocacy
Outside of regular business hours the following numbers are available 24/7.
- Erie County Crisis Services 24-Hour Hotline: 716-834-3131
- Erie County 24-Hour Addiction Hotline: 831-7007
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- SUNY 24-hour Crisis Text Line: Text “Got5U” to 741-741
Suicide Prevention Training is highly recommended as it can help responders determine if an individual is experiencing suicidal ideation and how to assist them in accessing professional assistance.
SUNY Online QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training is a free, self-guided course that provides a certificate upon completion. It is available at http://www.qprtraining.com/setup.php (enter SUNY as the organizational code)