Mental Health Emergencies

Concordia College seeks to promote healthy living in community and individual life. When College officials become aware of mental health related behaviors that pose a threat to an individual student or to others, the College will intervene out of concern for the health and welfare of the individual student and for the adverse effects that the behavior may have on others.

In instances when mental health related behavior of the student has been disruptive and/or negatively affecting others, the College will intervene with the student, require appropriate medical and/or psychological evaluation, and establish behavioral expectations. The College will involve parents or guardians in the intervention whenever a College official determines that such disclosure is necessary to protect the health and safety of the student or other individuals.

All Student Affairs staff will submit a written Student Emergency Response Report to the Counseling Center whenever they have credible information that a student has threatened or attempted suicide.

In instances when a student has overtly threatened or attempted suicide, or engaged in life-threatening behavior, the student will be transported for immediate medical or psychiatric/psychological evaluation. The parents or guardians may be informed of the intervention. Whether or not the student is admitted to the hospital, upon returning to the campus, the student must schedule four sessions of mandated assessment with a professional in the Counseling Center, the first appointment to occur within a week of the incident and the remaining sessions at weekly intervals thereafter. Students have the option of satisfying the requirement by meeting with private therapists, but only at their own expense and only after signing a release authorizing those College personnel involved in the situation, to debrief the therapist on the suicidal incident and to monitor compliance. Failure to comply with these mandated assessments may result in the student's involuntary withdrawal from the College. Parents or guardians may be involved in these meetings. The goal of these meetings is to determine the student's safety and readiness to return to campus and continue classes, and discuss conditions for supporting the student's success.

If a student has engaged in behavior that suggests a danger to self or others, or if a student's behavior has demonstrated that he or she is emotionally or psychologically incapable of functioning properly in the college setting, the College reserves the right to withdraw the student involuntarily from school after consulting an appropriate family member or guardian and psychiatrist or psychologist. If a student is involuntarily withdrawn from the College, a "clearance meeting" must be held with the Counseling Center before applying for readmission. (See policy on Readmission)

The College has developed a checklist that defines specific procedures to be followed by appropriate College staff in the event of a mental health emergency.

Information For:

current students
faculty and staff		 parents
alumni		 high school students
admitted students