Night Owls aim to reduce harm and promote safety on campus by providing early intervention in potentially hazardous situations when possible, and engaging emergency services when necessary. This information is provided to aid in assessment and referral, and increase our knowledge of what to look out for. Note: Night Owls are primarily a referral resource, and are expected to contact the most relevant resource with specific expertise to best support the individual in need. Keep your safety in mind at all times and be conscious of your level of training; call CSOs when needed.
- Environmental Cues
Situations are often dynamic, and perceived threats to safety may differ from person to person: if it is not safe to interact with the affected person, call community safety. Your safety is important, before approaching ensure the surroundings are safe. The surroundings may also give you clues as to what aid the affected person may require.
- Look out for:
- Obstructed pathways
- Low visibility
- Wet surfaces
- Destroyed property
- Any other people in proximity
- When approaching someone, consider what state they appear to be in. Is the affected person:
- Upset, angry or emotional
- Alone, sleeping/passed out or vomiting
- Hallucinating or having trouble walking
- Signs of Over-Intoxication & Ingestion of Substances
Night Owls who observe any signs of an overdose emergency should call Community Safety Immediately.
- Possible symptoms include the following:
- Vomiting; vomiting while passed out- not waking up after vomiting, or incoherent while vomiting
- Inability to stay awake;
- Altered control of gross motor movements
- Irregular breathing – breathing is abnormally slow or irregular
- Weak, very slow, or very rapid pulse
- Unable to state where they are or recall the current day or time of day
- Unresponsive or unconscious – cannot be roused even with loud shouting, vigorous shaking or pain stimulus
- Seizures or eyes rolling back in the head
- Incontinence – urinating or defecating on themself
Further resources can be found here: overdose signs, narcan sheet, HCC related services.
- Signs of Injury or Risk of Injury
Look for any visual physical injuries, or behaviors that may imply they have been harmed. If they are injured, call the CSOs for assistance.
Note: You are not in an assessment or physical support role; that is CSO & EMS–you are not expected to be asking questions about their situation beyond “Are you hurt? Are you safe? Do you need help? Who can I call? May I call the CSO?”
*Do not move the person except to avoid immediate danger (e.g. fire)
*If an injured person insists on moving, do not help except to prevent further injury
- If the person is conscious, CSOs will ask the following questions. You may want to ask them as you wait for CSOs to arrive on the scene, or to gather any helpful information.
- What is your name?
- Can you tell me what’s wrong/what happened?
- Are you injured?
- Does your neck hurt? If “yes”: are you able to move your arms and legs? Do they feel normal to you?
- Have you lost consciousness/passed out? If “yes”: call CSOs if appropriate, or urge the person to seek medical care
- Do you have any medical conditions?
- Have you had any alcohol? If “yes”: type, quantity, timing?
- Have you taken any drugs, prescription or not? If “yes”: type, quantity, timing?
- What is the date/time? Where are we right now?
- If the person is unconscious or unable to answer questions, call the CSOs. While waiting consider the following:
- Assess the person and scene for signs of injury or a fall
- Assess the person for breathing, and if trained provide appropriate interventions
- Look for medical alert information on a bracelet, necklace, etc
- Talk to anyone present who may have information useful in assessing the person and determining what happened
- Signs of Interpersonal Distress & Interpersonal Harm
Interpersonal violence often exploits an imbalance of power, violates boundaries, intends to harm or control and has behavioral patterns–including implicit threat.
Unhealthy relationship dynamics may include; manipulation, possessiveness, belittling, minimizing, volatility, betrayal, deflecting responsibility, blame, sabotage and guilting.
Noticing these dynamics in all types of relationships–intimate partner, peer to peer, community, etc.–is the first step to naming the behavior as harmful, and interrupting it before it continues.
- Signs Immediate Mental Health Support is Necessary
- Suicidal Behavior may present as follows:
- Threatening to hurt/kill themselves, especially if they have a plan for when, where, or how to complete suicide and the means to complete suicide (or are actively seeking the means)
- Disruptive behavior includes the following:
- Behaviors, speech, or communications that cause alarm or disruption:
- Damage to property or other disruptive physical acts
- Verbal confrontations or other communications
- Other physical behaviors that cause concern, alarm, or disruption
- Other possible behavioral signs of a mental health crisis include:
- Delusions, hallucinations, difficulty distinguishing what is real
- Sudden onset of heart palpitations, rapid pulse, sweating. trembling, chest pain, dizziness
- Intense generalized fear, confusion, fear of dying
- Call CSOs in the following situations:
- Actively engaged in self-injury, or obvious signs of recent and significant self-injury which requires immediate medical attention
- Physically violent or threatening behavior towards others
- Overtly harassing, intimidating, or stalking behavior
- Overtly threatening in speech or other communications
- Night Owls role can look like the following:
- Asking questions using ALGEE:
- Assessing for risk of suicide or harm
- Listen non-judgmentally
- Give reassurance and information
- Encourage appropriate professional help
- Encourage self-help and other support strategies
- Possible questions include: Do you want help? What do you want or need? Do you know what is happening? Has this happened before? What has helped before? Would you like to speak with a counselor?
- Ensure their and your own safety
- Find the safest possible place for assisting the person in need
- If safe, do not leave a person in crisis alone until help arrives or the crisis resolves
- If safe, share your concerns candidly with specific reasons for your concerns
- Do not attempt to restrain the person in crisis. If they refuse to stay with you, try to keep track of where they go and call for help
- Call CSOs if necessary
- Refer to additional support resources on campus
- Asking questions using ALGEE:
- Signs of Potential Security Risks, Safety & Security Hazards
- Security risks and safety hazards on campus include:
- Propping doors open for Residence Halls and other buildings after-hours
- Letting people one doesn’t know into secured buildings
- Lost items
- Slip/trip hazards (unsecured cords stretching across hallways and pedestrian routes; water/spills on hard-surfaced floors; broken glass)
- Summary: Signs, Symptoms & Actions
- What is happening: scene is unsafe; person is aggressive, having a mental health crisis, overly intoxicated, exhibiting signs of a overdose, unconscious, and/or experiencing/reporting interpersonal violence, conflict, and/or a safety risk
- Night Owl actions: bystander intervention, non-violent communication and support, providing resources and information, calling CSOs for assistance; reporting as necessary, administering naloxone, CPR and first aid as trained to do so