If there is an emergency on campus, call the Dallas College Police Department at 972-860-4290.
If this is an emergency off campus, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
If you or someone you know would like to speak by phone or text with a trained urgent care professional, there are nationwide services available:
- Text HOME to the
Crisis Text Line at 741741 to communicate with a trained crisis counselor from anywhere in the United States at any time about any type of crisis.
- Students of color can text STEVE to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 to speak with an urgent care counselor dedicated to supporting the mental health and emotional wellbeing of students of color.
- Call the
National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
If you are feeling anxiety or stress related to the coronavirus, there are resources and services to help you manage your concerns. Recommendations for managing stress related to the coronavirus can be found at the
National Institute of Mental Health.
Counseling and Psychological Services offers counseling and crisis care counseling. Read more about each service below.
What is Counseling?
Counseling occurs when a student meets one-on-one with a counselor to discuss a wide range of concerns and develop goals so the student can feel and function better and gain a sense of mastery over problems occurring in daily life. Dallas College offers counseling to help students resolve or manage specific challenges and make a desired change. Challenges vary from student to student, so the length of counseling varies among students.
Some common issues that students at Dallas College address in short-term counseling include:
- Personal issues: anxiety, depression, loneliness, grief, disordered eating
- Relationship issues: partners, coworkers, peers, family
- Developmental issues: adjustments, acculturation, identity issues
- Other issues: trauma, assault, substance use
- Academic concerns: motivation, test anxiety, perfectionism
What is Crisis Care Counseling?
There are times when a student needs a same-day crisis care counseling appointment.
To schedule a same-day crisis care counseling appointment, students should call 972-669-6400 and inform the person answering the call that they need to urgently speak with a mental health counselor. The student will be routed to a mental health counselor for assistance.
For emergencies outside of Counseling and Psychological Services hours of operation, view options on the top of this page.
Typical crisis care situations might include, but are not limited to the following:
- Acute depression with thoughts of suicide
- Acute anxiety and/or panic
- Death of a family member or friend
- Recent traumatic event
- Urgent concern for family member or a friend
What To Expect with Crisis Care Counseling
A crisis care counseling session will focus on the student’s immediate needs, identify strategies to manage immediate concerns, determine the level of intervention necessary and identify the most appropriate care options.
Counseling Support for Minor or High School Students
Are you a dual credit high school student, early college high school student, or home-schooled high school student attending Dallas College classes? Are you under the age of 18?
Dallas College Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) provides counseling to Dallas College students ages 18 and above. However, we want you to know we can still get you connected to supports:
- We'll help you locate and refer you back to your high school’s mental health counselor or ISD Mental Health Services, such as DISD’s Youth and Family Centers
- Through the Texas Family Code, Chapter 32, minors can consent to their own treatment if they are:
- Experiencing a mental health crisis, such a crisis related to suicide ideation
- Chemical or substance dependency
- Suspected physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
- We can assist you in a critical moment related to the above concerns, connect you to immediate help if needed, and correspond with your school’s mental health counselors so they can continue to support you.
Have any questions? Feel free to stop by a Dallas College CAPS Center!
Confidentiality Policy
Respecting your confidentiality is one of the Counseling and Psychological Services' highest priorities.
Typically, students share sensitive and personal information with their counselor. This information is not disclosed to anyone without written permission from the student.
However, there are exceptions to confidentiality to be aware of before beginning counseling. If there is a need to breach confidentiality, Counseling and Psychological Services staff will make every effort to work with students collaboratively while abiding by ethical and legal mandates.
Legally, counselors are required to disclose information where there is:
- An imminent threat of harm to self or others.
- Suspected abuse of children, the elderly or the disabled.
- A court subpoena.
- A student's written authorization to release information.
Our counseling staff adheres to the ethical principles and codes of conduct as defined by the appropriate state licensure boards.