Student Emergency – Immediate Attention Needed

Medical Emergencies

The essential first step is immediately seeking medical care. Please dial 911 or contact the Clemson University Police Department (CUPD) at 864-656-2222 immediately.  Please note that the Office of Advocacy and Success does not provide medical care or emergency assistance.  Furthermore, CARE reports are not reviewed outside of business hours; therefore, filing a CARE report is NOT an appropriate first step in an emergency of any kind. However, the Office of Advocacy and Success is a resource for support to students after emergency medical care has been received.

Some examples of medical emergencies may include the following:

• Injury or illness

• Student death, in which case we ask you contact the Clemson University Police Department (CUPD) at 864-656-2222 immediately

• Any attempt to harm oneself or others

• Significant impairment of normal functioning

• Physical assault or any other violent behavior or physical altercation

• Sexual violence or relationship violence

• Unconsciousness or the inability to communicate clearly (incoherent, garbled, slurred speech)

• For consultation in assessing the situation and responding appropriately, it is best to call 911 or CUPD at 864-656-2222. You may also visit the website for Student Health Services to get more information and guidance.

• Emergency Care and After-Hours Medical Attention
  In an emergency, call 911, call the CUPD at 864-656-2222, or visit your nearest local hospital emergency room. We also encourage you to visit the website for Student Health Services for further information and guidance.

Psychological Emergencies

Psychological emergencies may include the following signs or symptoms:

• Any threat of harm to oneself or others (verbal, written, or otherwise)

• Confusion or disorientation

• Loss of contact with reality (seeing/hearing things that are not there, paranoia)

For consultation in assessing the situation and responding appropriately, call Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at 864-656-2451 during business hours. If the psychological emergency is after hours/weekends, contact CUPD at 864-656-2222 and request that the CAPS counselor on-call be contacted.

In a psychological emergency, immediately seeking psychological care is the essential first step. In matters where harm to oneself or others is likely or inevitable, contact emergency services immediately by dialing 911, or go to the nearest hospital emergency room. For psychological emergencies, counselors are available for crisis assistance and consultation 24/7. During normal office hours, contact Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at 864-656-2451 or walk into CAPS for an emergency visit. After hours and on weekends, a counselor can be reached by calling the Clemson University Police Department (CUPD) at 864-656-2222 and asking for the CAPS counselor on call. The dispatcher will take your name and number and have the counselor on call return your call.

In a psychological emergency, filing a CARE report is NOT an appropriate step, as the Office of Advocacy and Success does not provide emergency or psychological assistance and does not review CARE reports outside of business hours.

Behavioral Emergencies

Some examples of behavioral emergencies include the following:

• Highly disruptive behavior

• Aggression that may be verbal and/or physical

• Threatening behavior

• Unusual, odd or strange behavior

• Any behavior that jeopardizes the safety of any one person or group

• Presence or threat of a weapon

Any behavior that is out of the norm for the person, the situation or the circumstances could indicate an emergency or that intervention is needed. Psychological and/or medical issues can present themselves as a behavioral problem or emergency. For consultation in assessing the situation and responding appropriately, call the Clemson University Police Department (CUPD) at 864-656-2222.  CUPD will refer you to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) if CAPS is determined the best point of initial contact for consultation or intervention.

The student body is increasingly diverse and multicultural with over 90 countries represented amongst current and graduated students. Differences in students affect the academic environment and while respect for differences is expected, campus safety and the effectiveness of the teaching environment must be maintained. Any behavior that is out of the norm for the person, the situation, or the circumstances could indicate an emergency and that intervention is needed. Psychological and/or medical issues can present as a behavioral problem or emergency. For consultation in assessing the situation and responding appropriately, call Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at 864-656-2451, The Office of Advocacy and Success (OAS) at 864-656-0935, or the Clemson University Police Department (CUPD) at 864-656-2222.