Emergency assistance
If you or someone else is experiencing a potentially life-threatening situation and is in need of immediate attention, call 911. You can also call the CSUN campus police at (818) 677-2111.
Urgent care assistance
Most UCS services are offered on an appointment basis, but situations arise that require immediate or same-day attention. You do not need an appointment if you have a crisis or urgent matter. UCS therapists are available to assist students with urgent situations, emergencies, or serious crises related to psychological concerns during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday). Such circumstances may include, but are not limited to:
- Current and serious thoughts or plans about attempting suicide
- Recent release from a psychiatric hospital or recent suicide attempt
- Current and serious thoughts or plans of harming someone else
- Recent physical assault/abuse, sexual assault/abuse, or domestic violence
- Intense distress due to a recent trauma (e.g., acts of discrimination or hate, domestic/physical/sexual assault or abuse, etc.)
- Acts of discrimination, hate, or systemic oppression that are currently impacting functioning
- Overwhelming feelings of grief due to the recent death of a loved one or end of a relationship
- Self-destructive behaviors that feel out of control and/or put your health at risk (e.g., binge drinking, excessive drug use, etc.)
- Hallucinations or other serious symptoms of psychosis (e.g., such as seeing/hearing things that don't exist or that others don't see/hear, odd or intrusive thoughts, etc.)
- Concern about the immediate safety of someone else
- Crisis related to basic needs (e.g., homelessness, hunger, etc.)
If you are in crisis or have an urgent concern during UCS business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 am – 5 pm), please call UCS at (818) 677-2366, option 1. If you are in crisis or have an urgent concern after regular business hours, please call our main line at (818) 677-2366 and select option 3. You will be immediately transferred to a live crisis counselor with whom you can discuss your concerns. Or if you prefer, please review the after hours options listed below.
After hours
Several options exist if you need to speak with someone after UCS is closed.
- For urgent care assistance, call (818)677-2366, Option 3
- For potentially life-threatening situations, call 911 or the Department of Police Services at (818) 677-2111.
- Call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at (800)273-TALK (8255) or dial 988 to access this number (open 24 hours a day). 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is the new 3 digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
- Military Veterans can call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at (800)273-TALK (8255), press 1
- Para asistencia en Espanol, llame a la línea directa de prevención del suicidio al (800)273-TALK (8255), oprima el numero 2
- Call the LGBT Youth Suicide Hotline at (866)4-U-TREVOR
- Text the Crisis Text Line by texting "START" to 741-741 (Free, 24/7, confidential)
- For rape or sexual assault services, call Strength United at (818)866-0453 (open 24 hours a day).
- Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800)799-SAFE (7233), (open 24 hours a day).
- Call the Drug Helpline at (800) 559-9503.
Critical incident consultations
UCS provides consultations to students, faculty and staff in response to any critical incident or disaster that may impact the well-being of the CSUN community. We offer de-briefing and psychological-educational consultations for a variety of critical incidents, including death of a student, natural disasters, violence on campus and other traumatic events experienced or witnessed by students. Please call (818) 677-2366 and select option one, then ask to speak with the director, Julie Pearce, or the triage counselor to arrange a consultation.
