The Johns Hopkins University Behavioral Health Crisis Support Team (BHCST) pairs experienced, compassionate crisis clinicians with specially trained public safety officers to support individuals in crisis on or immediately surrounding our Baltimore campuses.
The BHCST provides immediate assistance to those who need it and, just as importantly, links students, faculty, staff and community members in crisis to ongoing support services in the days and weeks that follow.
HOW IT WORKS
If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis, the Behavioral Health Crisis Support Team is here to help.
Step 1: Call the BHCST access line at 410-516-WELL (9355) to speak with a crisis support clinician.
Step 2: The BHCST clinician will ask some questions to better understand the situation and what you need.
- Share your name, current location, and how to contact you if disconnected.
- The clinician will ask you to describe what is happening and make a plan to provide support. This often involves a response to your location or where the crisis is unfolding, accompanied by a specially trained JHU Public Safety officer.
- The clinician leads the response, and the public safety officer is there to make sure the scene is safe and ensure that the person in crisis has privacy during the meeting with the clinician.
ABOUT THE TEAM
JHU is the first university in the United States to launch a campus-based 24/7/365 mobile crisis co-response team. This team and its approach were developed in response to a growing need, as supported by data and a desire from our community, for a more comprehensive, public health response to individuals who may be experiencing a behavioral or mental health crisis. We carefully considered the recommendations outlined in the 2018 report of the JHU Task Force on Student Health and Well-Being and were also guided by an expert consultant in the field of behavioral health crisis services, and an Advisory Committee that includes faculty, staff, students and neighborhood leaders.
BHCST Clinicians are licensed mental health professionals who come to Johns Hopkins with professional backgrounds in crisis counseling and de-escalation. Within their first month on the job, they underwent an extensive orientation, which included diversity, equity, and inclusion training, introductions to Hopkins programs, and meetings with organizations representing JHU’s neighbors. The team also participated in collaborative training with the Public Safety team, including ridealongs and scenario-based experiences to ensure collaboration when assisting community members in crisis.
JHU Public Safety officers participate in trainings focused on LGBTQ+-informed language and pronouns, crisis de-escalation, countering implicit bias, and trauma-informed response to victims of crime, unhoused individuals, and persons with disabilities.
The BHCST clinicians provide connections to a range of mental health and support resources within the JHU community, as well as facilitate referrals to Baltimore Crisis Response, Inc. (BCRI) for non-affiliates.
Student Health and Well-Being Resources
- Mental Health Services
- Appointment options are available in-person or telehealth. Same-day or next-day Initial Consultation appointments can be made by calling 410-516-3311 or scheduling online through the MyHealth Portal.
- TimelyCare. On-demand and scheduled mental health counseling visits.
- Primary Care Services
- Appointment options are available in-person or telehealth, and all visits are by appointment only. Call 410-516-3311 or schedule online through the MyHealth Portal.
- Health Promotion and Well-Being
- Student Disability Services
Faculty and Staff Resources
Non-affiliate Resources
- Baltimore Crisis Response, Inc. (BCRI)