By the end of this module, you can: observe the current situation, ask direct questions, separate what is known from what is uncertain, decide what needs attention first, and choose the next response without claiming authority you do not have.
A student has chest tightness and may have taken an edible
A student is seated in a quiet lobby with one responder. They are breathing and speaking, but appear shaky and say their chest feels tight. A friend says, “It is just another panic attack.” Dispatch reported a possible edible ingestion. You do not know the timeline, what the student took, whether the symptoms are changing, or what the student believes is happening.
Why this fits the evidence
Assessment begins with the person’s current condition, direct observations, short questions, and anything that cannot wait.
Look at breathing, responsiveness, movement, speech, injuries, behavior, surroundings, and whether the person can safely use the next step.
Result: You can describe what you directly see and how it is changing.
Describe what happened instead of assigning a label. Say “answers after a long pause and loses track of questions,” not “intoxicated.”
2
Ask
Ask what happened and determine whats needed.
Ask short, direct questions about symptoms, injury, substances, medication, self-harm or suicide concerns, threats, coercion, timeline, and what the person believes is happening when those questions are permitted by your role.
Result: You have the information needed for the immediate response without turning the conversation into an investigation.
Ask the person directly when possible. Record what friends, dispatchers, witnesses, and responders say without presenting their statements as proven facts.
3
Sort
Separate what you know from what you do not know.
Keep direct observations, other people’s reports, possible explanations, decisions, and unknown information separate.
Result: The response is based on clear information instead of assumptions or shortcut labels.
What you directly saw, heard, measured, or personally confirmed.
What someone reported
What the person, a friend, dispatch, a record, or another responder said.
What may be happening
A possible explanation supported by some facts but not yet proven.
What is unknown
Missing, conflicting, unavailable, or unconfirmed information.
What was decided
The action chosen, why it was chosen, and who has authority to carry it out.
4
Prioritize
Decide what needs attention first.
Choose the issue that could cause the most harm if delayed. Medical danger, suicide danger, violence, serious injury, access problems, and loss of responsiveness may take priority over identifying the exact cause.
Result: The most urgent need is clear, while other important needs remain visible.
Do not force one label to explain the whole situation. A person may need medical help, emotional support, safety planning, and follow-up at the same time.
5
Decide
Choose the next response.
Decide what should happen now, who has authority to do it, what help must be called, and what information still needs to be checked later.
Result: The next action, reason, responsible person or service, and remaining unknowns are clear.
Stay within your role. Ask the questions your role allows, take the actions assigned to you, and bring in specialists when the decision exceeds your authority.
The student says the tightness began after a frightening phone call. They deny taking an edible today and say they used one two days ago. They answer orientation questions correctly but pause often. Their pulse feels fast to them. You are not authorized to provide medical clearance.
Why this fits the evidence
A statement can change how likely an explanation seems without making it a confirmed fact. Keep the current condition and role limits visible.
Condition changes
The student becomes more short of breath
The student stops in the middle of a sentence and says the chest pain is now sharp. The friend says this still looks like prior panic episodes.
Why this fits the evidence
New direct information can change the priority immediately. Do not wait for a final explanation before responding to worsening danger.
the current condition is clear enough for action; immediate danger has an active response; direct observations, reports, possible explanations, and unknowns are separated; the most urgent need is identified; and the next action and responsible person or service are clear.
Check the assessment again when
the person’s condition, words, behavior, safety, timeline, source information, response to help, access, responder status, or ownership changes.
A resident says someone from class followed them across campus and is now outside their building. You see a person across the street looking at a phone. The resident is frightened and says, “They are going to hurt me.” Dispatch has no related call. You are a residential responder, not an investigator or threat assessor.
Why this fits the evidence
A strong assessment preserves the resident’s exact report, states what you directly observed, identifies what remains unknown, chooses immediate protection, and connects unresolved threat questions to an authorized responder.
