Why this is important: Preparing for a crisis before it happens reduces confusion for housing staff and allows them to respond to an emergency event quickly and effectively. In extreme cases, a resident may have mental illness symptoms, such as making threats, feeling suicidal, or being unable to care for themselves, that require a hospitalization process. Housing staff should be aware of the general process of hospitalization as well as specific processes that occur in their town and state to reduce the potential for harm, legal risk liability, and overall community impact/crisis. 
 
Description: This micro-learning course provides a research-based approach to understanding the behaviors that can lead up to a psychiatric hospitalization and how housing staff are able to play an integral part in the process to reduce harm to the resident, communicate with emergency service personal, and better control the community reaction through adopting a calm, confident and controlled stance. Examples of common hospitalization pitfalls and problems that may occur in the housing community will be offered with clear advice on how to better communicate and mange this process. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of communication with housing administration, emergency services, law enforcement, and the multi-disciplinary behavioral intervention team to ensure proper follow up, handling of acute needs, and ensuring clear documentation. 
 
Housing staff will be able to:
Review common aspects to a psychiatric hepatizations and have a clear plan and process to handle this emergency, reduce harm to the resident and offer support and calming to the larger campus community
Identify specific areas to be addressed related to next of kin/guardian notification, building safety (pets, oven, heating/air, plants, parking) and communicating with treatment providers and the multi-disciplinary behavioral intervention team
Create clear and timely documentation around the crisis event and share it with the appropriate administrative staff
Project an air of confidence and control to other residents to reduce community impact and demonstrate preparedness by the housing program