What is emergency psychology?

A psychological emergency is any situation in which a person experiences extreme distress, cannot cope with everyday life, or is in danger of harming himself or herself or others. The following behavior may be observed:

• Paranoia
• Hysteria
• Confusion
• Stalking
• Campaigning
• Misconceptions
• Hallucinations
• Anxiety
• Disruptive behavior
• Uncontrollable anger

Primary Response Team

• Employees of the Office of Counseling and Wellness Services
• Employees of the Office of Housing and Residence
• Employees of the Department for Work with Deans of Faculties
• NYIT campuses: Office of Campus Safety; Long Island residences: University Police; NYIT residences: 911

Secondary Response Team

• Department of Strategic Communications and External Relations
• Office of Human Resources
• Office of the President
• Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs
• Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs

Goals
NYIT cares about the health, safety, and emotional well-being of all members of the NYIT community. The purpose of this policy is to protect and assist community members experiencing emotional distress and to provide a safe and healthy living and learning environment on campus.

Alert
If you suspect immediate danger due to emotional distress, call 911. In all other situations where emotional distress is suspected, call Counseling and Wellness Services if it is a student and Human Resources if it is an employee or faculty member.

For students in emotional distress:

• Seek help from a professional counselor at the Counseling and Wellness Center on your campus. (All contact with the Counseling and Wellness Center remains confidential unless there is an immediate threat of harm to you or others.)

For faculty or staff involved in emotional distress:

• Seek help from a professional counselor with the help of Human Resources. (All contacts with Human Resources remain confidential, unless there is an imminent threat of harm to you or others.)

For witnesses (or those who suspect others of emotional distress):

• Contact the Counseling and Wellness Center if it is a student; or Human Resources if it is an employee or faculty member.
• If a problem occurs after hours, contact Campus Safety or the Director of Housing and Residence Life if necessary.

For employees of the Counseling and Wellness Center:

• Contact the student in question.
• Assess the situation.
• Take appropriate action.
• If deemed necessary, arrange to have the student transported by ambulance to an appropriate hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. (The student may be voluntarily or involuntarily admitted to the hospital.)
• If a student is hospitalized, contact the Dean of Students.

For the Office of Campus Safety:

• Contact the student/staff member in question.
• Assess the situation.
• Contact the Dean of Students.

For the Dean of the Faculty (if hospitalization is necessary):

• Consult with the treating mental health professionals and determine the appropriate steps to notify parents/guardians of the hospitalization (and the events leading up to it), with or without the student's permission, as appropriate. (All costs associated with emergency transportation and hospitalization are the sole responsibility of the student).
• Keep monitoring the situation.
• After obtaining a copy of the hospital discharge plan (provided by the student) and discussing the student's written psychiatric evaluation with the counseling and wellness office staff and the Director of Housing and Residence Life, if applicable, determine the appropriateness of returning the student to classes and to the residence hall.
  • If the student is not allowed to return to the residence hall, contact the student's parents or guardians (or emergency contact person) so they can assume responsibility for care.
  • If the student is allowed to return to the residence hall and/or classes, obtain their agreement to comply with all post-surgery/follow-up recommendations as a condition of their return.
  • Warn the student that the college reserves the right to require the student to reassess at a later date.
  • Warn the student that the college reserves the right to change the residence of any student experiencing emotional distress in order to protect the student or the safety and well-being of any other member(s) of the community.

For the Office of Human Resources:

• Contact the employee in question.
• Assess the situation.
• Take appropriate action.
• If deemed necessary, arrange for the employee to be transported by ambulance to an appropriate hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. (The employee may be admitted to the hospital either voluntarily or involuntarily.)