• If you are in distress and need to speak with someone urgently, an on-call crisis counselor can be reached 24/7 at the following numbers:
    Holy Cross 24-hour Crisis Center number (855-418-7282)
    National Suicide Help Line (800-273-8225)

When to Make a Referral to Counseling

The preceding signs and symptoms suggest that a given student may benefit from psychological counseling. There are a number of other factors that a faculty member or administrator might consider in deciding to make a referral to professional counseling:

  • A student discusses a problem or requests information which seems to lie outside your realm of knowledge or experience.
  • Personality differences between you and the student prevent you from helping him/her.
  • The problem is personal and you know the student other than on a professional basis (e.g. friend, neighbor, relative, etc.).
  • The student shows an unwillingness to discuss the problem with you.
  • You believe your attempts to help the student have not been successful.
  • The student seems unimproved or worse, even after several contacts.
  • The student is a potential danger to him/herself or to others.