Emergency Coverage

The Psychological Counseling Center, in conjunction with Newton-Wellesley Hospital, provides 24-hour emergency coverage, including phone consultation, immediate psychiatric evaluation, overnight observation, and in-patient hospitalization.

The Counseling Center staff and the Newton-Wellesley emergency services and psychiatric department are extremely sensitive to your confidentiality and responsive to your crisis. Please be reassured that an emergency team is always available.

Emergency Situations

If you have a life threatening emergency, call Brandeis University Police at 781-736-3333. If you need an emergency consultation after hours or on weekends, a staff member is available through our answering service at 781-239-8312.

In some rare instances a student's problems need immediate emergency attention. Generally, psychological emergencies fall into one or more of the following categories:

  • A suicide gesture, stated intention or attempt
  • Behavior posing a threat to the individual himself/herself
  • Behavior posing a threat to others
  • Demonstrated inability to adequately care for oneself

Some guidelines for responding in the event of a psychological emergency include:

  • Offer a quiet, secure place for the individual to talk if possible.
  • Listen carefully, maintaining a straightforward, considerate and helpful attitude. Don't panic.
  • If the person seems particularly violent or disruptive, alert someone else for assistance.
  • Make arrangements for appropriate University intervention and aid.

Be prepared with as much information as possible for the agency you contact including:

  • Name of student, yourself and department
  • Concise description of current situation and kind of assistance needed
  • Exact location
  • If person is dangerous or seems likely to leave abruptly, accurate description of the person and direction in which he/she leaves
  • Be aware that the clinician responding to your call may seem short and to the point in order to intervene as efficiently as possible

The primary campus resources for responding to mental health emergencies are:

  • For consultation about whether it is an emergency and how to handle the situation, call the Psychological Counseling Center at 781-736-3730, and after hours at 781-239-8312.
  • If the student seems to need medical care, call the Health Center at 781-736-3677.
  • If the student is unduly aggressive, hostile or otherwise unmanageable and uncooperative, call the Campus Police at 781-736-5000 or 781-736-3333, or the Dean of Student Life at 781-736-3600.