The Student Health Services at Cerritos College continue to provide enrolled students with daily mental health crisis walk-in hours from 11 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., where students can have one-on-one time with a therapist or nurse practitioner.
Introduced in 2017, the crisis walk-in hours have helped many students overcome issues such as anxiety, depression, self-harm or suicidal thoughts, assault, abuse, grief, psychosis and many other crisis issues.
Since the service’s inception almost eight years ago, the Student Health Services have seen an increase in students seeking support and have expanded the designated hours available for walk-ins.
In 2023, the Student Health Center had 47 student crisis visits throughout the entire year, and that number jumped to 93 in 2024, almost doubling. As of Dec. 8, there have been 81 visits in 2025.
Bernadette Ferrell, the assistant manager for the Cerritos College Student Health Services and licensed clinical social worker, said that they see an increase in visits during specific times of the year.
“So there’s an increase after the first two weeks of a semester. This is usually because transitions are difficult, or maybe someone has been in the work field for a really long time and now they’re coming to school. So that’s a tough transition. You’re also adjusting to all your different professors having different teaching styles and assignments.”
Although there are allocated hours for students to walk in for the crisis hours, Ferrell says that students are free to walk in at any time to get crisis support or utilize any other resources provided by the Student Health Center.
Students who walk in seeking support will be greeted by the front desk staff, who will guide them personally through the process. The wait time is usually short, but a student will need to sign consent forms.
Depending on the severity of the crisis, the length of the session varies. Typically, a session will last between 45 minutes to an hour, but can easily be two hours or more. Students can expect privacy and confidentiality when attending, unless a more serious factor, such as self-harm or harm to others, is apparent.
A lot of students who used the walk-in crisis hours said that they have felt calmer and more grounded after the session, but the effectiveness of the sessions depends on the student and their goals.
In more serious visits, Ferrel says that the therapist supporting the student might check after the initial visit.
“So it can be a one-time visit, or it can be like, ‘oh, well, check in once.’ A stabilization plan can be created for the student during the session, or if appropriate, we can refer students to someone on the team for short-term therapy.”
Ferrel continues, saying that the biggest challenge they face is letting students know about the services offered and getting students to get out of their comfort zone when seeking support, but would definitely recommend the crisis walk-in hours as an option for support.
“I think it’s important to know that we all go through difficult things in life and that it’s okay to ask for help when you’re in a crisis, and it’s really encouraged. Something else I want students to know is that just because you come in for a crisis visit doesn’t mean you have to keep using our services so that you have to participate in therapy.”
