Dear Colleagues and Friends,

In the wake of the death of our chancellor, we are all struggling to make sense of such a sudden and tragic loss. With the entire campus community, we at Counseling and Psychological Services extend our deepest heartfelt sympathies to Denice Denton's family, friends, and close colleagues.

Personal responses to death by suicide are complex and often unpredictable; individual emotional reactions can be intense, changeable, and confusing. We therefore would like to provide information regarding the psychological consultation services that are available to UCSC staff, faculty, and students for the summer, and we encourage you to seek support as needed.

24-hour CRISIS RESOURCES:
Dominican Hospital Behavioral Health - 831-462-7719
Santa Cruz County Mental Health - 800-952-2335
Suicide Prevention Services - 831-458-5300
Women's Crisis Support - 831-685-3737

Staff and Faculty: The campus EAP program provides local counseling referrals for up to three private counseling sessions at no charge (http://shr.ucsc.edu/topics/benefits/eap/whats-provided.htm). Staff and faculty can also contact their own health insurance providers for information regarding available mental health services.

Students: Call CPS for information and referral regarding counseling services off campus. We regret that no regular counseling services are available on campus during the summer. Urgent health care services are available at the Student Health Center.

Consultation: If staff and faculty have questions regarding a colleague or student employee who is experiencing distress around the tragedy, you may contact CPS for consultation and assistance.

Debriefing: CPS staff has been meeting with unit groups across the campus. Such group discussions can be an effective way to reduce feelings of isolation and come to terms with difficult feelings. Campus units and departments may contact CPS to schedule group meetings to discuss the impact of the campus tragedy on their unit.

The links below contain information about common reactions to traumatic incidents and tips for coping:

Experiencing a Tramatic Event

Coping with a Tramatic Event

Promoting a Healthy Recovery

For information regarding memorials and remembrances of Chancellor Denice Denton please go to: http://www.ucsc.edu/administration/denice_denton/

With the entire campus, we mourn the loss of Dr. Denice Denton and we will dedicate ourselves to the ongoing healing that will continue in the months ahead.

In collaboration with the Campus Wellness Committee, the following scheduled of events have been planned.

Sincerely,

UCSC Counseling and Psychological Services Staff