The following guidelines are designed to help Colby Athletics coaches, administrators/staff, and teammates respond when they have reason to believe a student-athlete is at risk for suicide.
The goal is to connect a student of concern to a mental health professional, but the specifics of this process will vary depending on the circumstances, including the team’s location, proximity to the student, the level of cooperation of the student, the time of day, and the severity of the situation. Below are several specific scenarios followed by the steps that address them.
Please Note: If you are a teammate of the student of concern and you are off campus traveling with your team, you are encouraged to notify your accompanying coach, athletic trainer, and/or athletic administrator of your concerns. They will be able to provide additional support for you and your teammate.
If:
- You are with a student and they disclose to you that they are experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Then:
- It is imperative that you connect that student immediately with a mental health professional who can assess the level of concern and make a plan for ensuring their safety. Do not leave the student alone until cleared to do so by a counselor.
- During Counseling Services regular business hours, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m., you may walk the student over to the office in Garrison-Foster 205, or call 207-859-4490 to connect the student with a counselor.
- When the Counseling Services office is closed, you can reach the counselor on call by calling the office at 207-859-4490 and pressing “0.” The counselor will conduct an assessment over the phone, determine an appropriate plan of action, and be responsible for helping to carry that plan forward.
- If the student refuses to speak with a counselor, then it remains imperative that you reach out yourself in that moment for consultation with a counselor by calling 207-859-4490. If after hours, call the same number and press “0.” The counselor will help with determining a plan of action from there.
- If you are off campus traveling with the team, call Counseling Services as outlined above, following the instructions for regular business hours and after hours. Let the counselor know where you are and they will work with you to determine an appropriate care plan.
If:
- You are with a student and they have not explicitly disclosed having suicidal thoughts, but you have reason to believe they may be at risk for suicide based on their behaviors, statements, and/or information shared from other sources.
Then:
- Ask the student if they are currently experiencing suicidal thoughts or have recently experienced suicidal thoughts.
- If they answer “yes,” follow the above procedures for connecting them with a counselor for assessment. Do not leave the student alone until cleared to do so by a counselor.
- If they answer “no,” having them check in with a counselor at that time is still strongly encouraged based on your existing concerns. If they are not agreeable to checking in with a counselor, it remains imperative that you reach out yourself for consultation with a counselor.
- Once you have shared your concerns with the counselor, they will determine if further action is necessary and be responsible for helping to carry any plans forward. This call to the counselor should be done immediately following your conversation with the student of concern.
- If you are off campus traveling with the team, call Counseling Services as outlined above, following the instructions for regular business hours and after hours. Let the counselor know where you are and they will work with you to determine an appropriate care plan.
If:
- You are not with the student of concern, but observed or were given information that indicates that they may be at risk for suicide.
Then:
- Contact the Counseling Services office immediately at 207-859-4490 to speak with a counselor about your concerns.
- If it is outside of regular business hours, call the same number and press “0” to be connected with the counselor on call.
- Once you have shared your concerns with the counselor, they will determine if further action is necessary and be responsible for helping to carry any plans forward.
- If you are off campus traveling with the team, let the counselor know where you are and they will work with you to determine an appropriate care plan.
If:
- You are aware that a student has already taken steps to inflict serious harm on themselves through ingestion of substances or other means, or they are in immediate danger under any other circumstances.
Then:
- If you are on campus, call 207-859-5911 immediately to be connected to Campus Security to report the incident.
- Campus Security will immediately notify the appropriate authorities and provide assistance.
- If you are off campus traveling with the team, call 911, or local emergency number.
- If you are outside the United States, follow that country’s instructions for accessing emergency care.
The following guidelines are designed to help hall staff respond when they have reason to believe a resident is at risk for suicide.
The goal is to connect a student of concern to a mental health professional, but the specifics of this process will vary depending on the circumstances, including the proximity to the resident, the level of cooperation of the resident, the time of day, and the severity of the situation.
Below are several specific scenarios followed by the steps that address them. Additionally, you, as a member of the hall staff, can draw on the training you received from Counseling Services to help you navigate these situations.
You may also call Campus Security at 207-859-5911 any time you are concerned for the safety and welfare of a student and are unsure how to proceed.
If:
- You are with a student and they disclose to you that they are experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Then:
- It is imperative that you connect that student immediately with a mental health professional who can assess the level of concern and make a plan for ensuring their safety. Do not leave the student alone until cleared to do so by a counselor.
- During Counseling Services regular business hours, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m., you may walk the student over to the office in Garrison-Foster 205, or call 207-859-4490 to connect the student with a counselor.
- When the Counseling Services office is closed, you can reach the counselor on call by calling the office at 207-859-4490 and pressing “0.” The counselor will conduct an assessment over the phone, determine an appropriate plan of action, and be responsible for helping to carry that plan forward.
- If the student refuses to speak with a counselor, then it remains imperative that you reach out yourself in that moment for consultation with a counselor by calling 207-859-4490. If after hours, call the same number and press “0.” The counselor will help with determining a plan of action from there.
- As soon as the immediate crisis is resolved, you must notify your supervisor and the dean on call.
If:
- You are with a student and they have not explicitly disclosed having suicidal thoughts, but you have reason to believe they may be at risk for suicide based on their behaviors, statements, and/or information shared from other sources.
Then:
- Ask the student if they are currently experiencing suicidal thoughts or have recently experienced suicidal thoughts.
- If they answer “yes,” follow the above procedures for connecting them with a counselor for assessment. Do not leave the student alone until cleared to do so by a counselor.
- If they answer “no,” having them check in with a counselor at that time is still strongly encouraged based on your existing concerns. If they are not agreeable to checking in with a counselor, it remains imperative that you reach out yourself for consultation with a counselor.
- Once you have shared your concerns with the counselor, they will determine if further action is necessary and be responsible for helping to carry any plans forward. This call to the counselor should be done immediately following your conversation with the student of concern.
- As soon as the immediate crisis is resolved, you must notify your supervisor and the dean on call.
If:
- You are not with the student of concern, but observed or were given information that indicates that they may be at risk for suicide.
Then:
- Contact the Counseling Services office immediately at 207-859-4490 to speak with a counselor about your concerns.
- If it is outside of regular business hours, call the same number and press “0” to be connected with the counselor on call.
- Once you have shared your concerns with the counselor, they will determine if further action is necessary and be responsible for helping to carry any plans forward.
- As soon as the consultation is complete, you must notify your supervisor and the dean on call.
If:
- You are aware that a student has already taken steps to inflict serious harm on themselves through ingestion of substances or other means, or they are in immediate danger under any other circumstances.
Then:
- Call 207-859-5911 immediately to be connected to Campus Security to report the incident.
- Campus Security will immediately notify the appropriate authorities and provide assistance.
- As soon as the immediate crisis is resolved, you must notify your supervisor and the dean on call.
The following guidelines are designed to help Campus Security officers and staff respond when they have reason to believe a student is at risk for suicide. The goal is to connect a student of concern to a mental health professional, but the specifics of this process will vary depending on the circumstances, including the proximity to the student, the level of cooperation of the student, the time of day, and the severity of the situation. Below are several specific scenarios followed by the steps that address them. Note that the final “If/Then” in this protocol covers an involuntary admission to the ED.
If:
- You are with a student and they disclose to you that they are experiencing suicidal thoughts and they are requesting to go, or it is clear that they need to go, straight to the ED for an evaluation.
Then:
- You may proceed to transport them to the Thayer ED without calling a counselor for further evaluation. Please notify the Colby dean on call and the Colby counselor on call prior to or as soon as possible following the transport.
If:
- You are with a student and they disclose to you that they are experiencing suicidal thoughts and they are not requesting to go, nor is it clear that they need to go, straight to the ED for an evaluation.
Then:
- It is imperative that you connect that student immediately with a mental health professional who can assess the level of concern and make a plan for ensuring their safety.
- During Counseling Services regular business hours, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m., you may escort the student over to the office in Garrison-Foster 205, or call 207-859-4490 to connect the student with a counselor.
- When the Counseling Services office is closed, you can reach the counselor on call by calling the office at 859-4490 and pressing “0.” The counselor will conduct an assessment over the phone, determine an appropriate plan of action, and be responsible for helping to carry that plan forward.
- If the student refuses to speak with a counselor, then it remains imperative that you reach out yourself in that moment for consultation with a counselor by calling 207-859-4490. If after hours, call the same number and press “0.” The counselor will help with determining a plan of action from there.
If:
- You are with a student and they have not explicitly disclosed having suicidal thoughts, but you have reason to believe they may be at risk for suicide based on their behaviors, statements, and/or information shared from other sources.
Then:
- Ask the student if they are currently experiencing suicidal thoughts, or have recently experienced suicidal thoughts.
- If they answer “yes,” follow the above procedures for connecting them with a counselor for assessment.
- If they answer “no,” having them check in with a counselor at that time is still strongly encouraged based on your existing concerns. If they are not agreeable to checking in with a counselor, it remains imperative that you reach out yourself for consultation with a counselor. Once you have shared your concerns with the counselor, they will determine if further action is necessary. This call to the counselor should be done immediately following your conversation with the student of concern.
If:
- You are not with the student of concern, but observed or were given information that indicates that they may be at risk for suicide.
Then:
- Contact the Counseling Services office immediately at 207-859-4490 to speak with a counselor about your concerns. If it is outside of regular business hours, call the same number and press “0” to be connected with the counselor on call. Once you have shared your concerns with the counselor, they will determine if further action is necessary and make recommendations accordingly.
If:
- You are aware that a student has already taken steps to inflict serious harm on themselves through ingestion of substances or other means, or they are in immediate danger under any other circumstances.
Then:
- Follow the emergency procedures set forth for a Security officer when a student is at serious physical/medical risk.
If:
- You are the responding officer, it has already been determined that the student needs to go to the ED for an evaluation by the on-call counselor involved, and the student refuses to go.
Then:
- Take some time to work with the on-call counselor and the student to encourage them to go voluntarily.
- If they still refuse to go, you will need to call the Waterville Police to initiate an involuntary admission to the ED. The WPD officer will get the necessary information from you, the counselor, and others involved, will talk with the student, and will make the final determination around the involuntary transport. Since a thorough assessment has already been done, it would be very unlikely that the officer would go against the counselor’s recommendation. At that point, the officer will either transport the student to the ED in their vehicle, or call for an ambulance. The WPD officer will be responsible for filling out the State of Maine protective custody form.
The following guidelines are designed to help students and staff respond when they have reason to believe a student is at risk for suicide and the student of concern is studying off campus or participating in an off-campus program. The goal is to connect a student of concern to a mental health professional, but the specifics of this process will vary depending on the circumstances, including the location of the student of concern, proximity to the student, the level of cooperation of the student, the time of day, and the severity of the situation. Below are several specific scenarios followed by the steps that address them.
Note that depending on where you and the student of concern are located, or what program you are participating in, it may be important to notify the onsite program director of the concerns. If you are unsure about who else you should notify after the immediate emergency has been handled, you may contact Colby Counseling Services at 207-859-4490, Colby Off-Campus Study at 207-859-4500, or the Colby Dean of Studies Office at 207-859-4560.
If:
- You are with a student and they disclose to you that they are experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Then:
- It is imperative that you connect that student immediately with a mental health professional who can assess the level of concern and make a plan for ensuring their safety. Do not leave the student alone until cleared to do so by a counselor.
- During Counseling Services regular business hours, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m., you may call the office at 207-859-4490 to connect the student with a counselor.
- When the Counseling Services office is closed, you can reach the counselor on call by calling the office at 207-859-4490 and pressing “0.” The counselor will conduct an assessment over the phone, determine an appropriate plan of action, and be responsible for helping to carry that plan forward.
- If the student refuses to speak with a counselor, then it remains imperative that you reach out yourself in that moment for consultation with a counselor by calling 207-859-4490. If after hours, call the same number and press “0.” The counselor will help with determining a plan of action from there.
- It is important that you let the counselor know where you and the student of concern are located and they will work with you to determine an appropriate care plan.
If:
- You are with a student and they have not explicitly disclosed having suicidal thoughts, but you have reason to believe they may be at risk for suicide based on their behaviors, statements, and/or information shared from other sources.
Then:
- Ask the student if they are currently experiencing suicidal thoughts, or have recently experienced suicidal thoughts.
- If they answer “yes,” follow the above procedures for connecting them with a counselor for assessment. Do not leave the student alone until cleared to do so by a counselor.
- If they answer “no,” having them check in with a counselor at that time is still strongly encouraged based on your existing concerns. If they are not agreeable to checking in with a counselor, it remains imperative that you reach out yourself for consultation with a counselor.
- Once you have shared your concerns with the counselor, they will determine if further action is necessary and be responsible for helping to carry any plans forward. This call to the counselor should be done immediately following your conversation with the student of concern.
- It is important that you let the counselor know where you and the student of concern are located and they will work with you to determine an appropriate care plan.
If:
- You are not with the student of concern, but observed or were given information that indicates that they may be at risk for suicide.
Then:
- Contact the Counseling Services office immediately at 207-859-4490 to speak with a counselor about your concerns.
- If it is outside of regular business hours, call the same number and press “0” to be connected with the counselor on call.
- Once you have shared your concerns with the counselor, they will determine if further action is necessary and be responsible for helping to carry any plans forward.
- It is important that you let the counselor know where you and the student of concern are located and they will work with you to determine an appropriate care plan.
If:
- You are aware that a student has already taken steps to inflict serious harm on themselves through ingestion of substances or other means, or they are in immediate danger under any other circumstances.
Then:
- If you are inside the United States, call 911 or the local emergency number immediately for emergency assistance.
- If you are outside the United States, follow that country’s, or your specific program’s, instructions for accessing emergency care.
