In Crisis (Urgent Assistance)


After-Hours Assistance

CAPS offers after-hours support to provide Emory students with confidential assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (24/7), year-round. Students can call CAPS and speak immediately with a mental health professional to identify their needs, get support, and help develop a plan for next steps. 

Contact CAPS by calling 404-727-7450, anytime 

If you need immediate assistance for life-threatening emergencies, call the Emory Police Department at 404-727-6111 or call 9-1-1 if you are in the United States. 

For psychological emergencies, there are several resources available through Emory University and the Atlanta community. 

What to expect during my Crisis Triage Appointment at CAPS

Please note that crisis appointments are typically brief consultations lasting 15-20 minutes with a focus on assessing for safety and/or immediate need, and creating a plan for next steps, which may include scheduling a follow-up screening appointment or connecting students to additional campus or community resources. 

After 5 p.m. by phone: 

CAPS has expanded after-hours support to provide Emory students with confidential assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (24/7), year-round. Now, a student can call CAPS and speak immediately with a mental health professional to identify their needs, get support, and help develop a plan for next steps. 
 
Contact CAPS by calling 404-727-7450, anytime. 

After-Hours Assistance

If you need immediate assistance for life-threatening emergencies, call the Emory Police Department at 404-727-6111 or call 9-1-1 if you are in the United States. 

For psychological emergencies, there are several resources available through Emory University and the Atlanta community. Visit https://counseling.emory.edu/about/emergency.html for more information. 

When you call after hours, on holidays, or during school breaks, you will first be met with an automated message that provides you with three options: 

  • You can talk with a mental health professional immediately who can offer risk assessment and support for students experiencing urgent mental health concerns. 
  • You can leave a message. Messages will be followed up on the next business day. 
  • You can learn how to schedule an initial consultation online. 

If you need immediate assistance for an emergency, please call the Emory Police Department at 404-727-6111 if you are on campus or call 9-1-1 if you are in the United States off-campus. 

Our after-hours phone line is to support identified mental health needs of our enrolled student community to include those in GA, out of state and abroad. We focus on brief, solution-focused interventions to assess the student’s current situation and arrange for appropriate further levels of care depending on the situation. 

We conduct a guided clinical assessment where we talk with you about your presenting issue(s), as well as assess risk related to categories such as suicide, self-harm, thoughts of harm to others, substance use, interpersonal harm, etc. With that, we work with you to create an immediate safety plan for after the call, and any contingency planning. This may include ongoing involvement with a mental health professional, or in more clinically complex situations, seeking medical attention.