Student response team available to help people in crisis

UCCS faculty, staff or students who notice disconcerting behaviors, or who believe a student may be a danger to himself or to others, are encouraged to contact a member of the UCCS Student Response Team.

With the beginning of the semester, Steve Linhart, dean of students, Division of Student Success, reminded campus community members of the importance of knowing there are people who can help a student who is in personal crisis.

“Since 2007, the Student Response Team has led a coordinated effort to respond to student issues,” Linhart said. “Typically, that’s a student in crisis.”

But recognizing a student who is in crisis can be challenging. Linhart recommend faculty and staff pay particular attention to the following

• Dramatic changes in behavior
• Suicidal ideations either in written or spoken language
• Behavior that is threating to others or use of threating language

If such behaviors are seen, Linhart recommends calling a member of the Student Response Team and asking for help. The team’s members are Linhart, Jim Spice, chief of police, Department of Public Safety, and Benek Altayli, director, University Counseling Center. In the event of an eminent threat, Linhart encouraged use of the UCCS Police Dispatch number, 255-3111. The number is answered 24 hours daily.

“Anyone can call any of us at any time and be assured that we take every call seriously,” Linhart said. “We share information with each other and, depending on the situation, decide if we need to bring in other resources to help.”

The course of action taken by the Student Response Team varies with the individual. Following an evaluation, a student may be monitored for problems, recommended for counseling or, as a final step, removed from campus.

“Only in the most severe of cases would we recommend someone be removed from campus,” Linhart said. “Even then, we still operate under the principle of ‘how can we help this person?’’’

Contact information for the Student Response Team members follows

• Steve Linhart, 255-3838, [email protected]
• Benek Altayli, 255-3257, [email protected]
• Jim Spice, 255-3288, [email protected]