By The Division of Student Affairs partnered with Crisis Text Line to provide 24/7 crisis intervention and support for faculty, CSULB students and their family or acting parental figures.
The Beach Crisis Text Line was introduced at the beginning of the fall semester and will connect students with a volunteer crisis counselor who will provide the appropriate counseling and resource. All conversations on the hotline are private and anonymous.
Candice Chick, DSA health and wellness outreach coordinator, said the hotline is not exclusively for people suffering from a crisis situation.
“It could be a crisis or it could be something they are struggling with,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be monumental, but definitely they are going to provide you with resources while they are on the phone with you, while you are texting, as well as when you hang up.”
She said, during the COVID-19 pandemic some students, faculty and staff may be struggling with feelings of isolation, anxiety, or depression.
By texting “BEACH” to 741741, participants will be connected to a trained crisis volunteer, who will reflect on what they typed and invite them to share at their own pace. Text responders are there for support and to help sort through feelings by asking questions, empathizing and actively listening.
Chick said that the hotline is meant to be a one-dimensional approach to maintaining mental health, whereas counseling and psychological services is a multi-faceted approach.
“You don’t have to interact [with the counselors],” she said. “You can just type away, and that’s really the preference where a lot of students might be and we want to make sure we’re meeting them on all those different categories.”
Students can also get support from Counseling and Psychological Services and from their peer programs. The Beach Buddy peer mentoring program and Project OCEAN are available to support students’ mental health and wellness.
Staff and faculty can access the Faculty & Staff Assistance Program along with the text line. This free confidential resource aims to help CSULB staff and faculty resolve personal, family or work-related problems. Services directly provided by FSAP are available only by appointment.
To reach a crisis counselor, text BEACH to 741-741. For other mental health and well-being resources, visit the CAPS homepage.
