Mental Health Information for Faculty & Staff | University of Minnesota Morris

Mental Health Information for Faculty & Staff | University of Minnesota Morris
Mental Health Information for Faculty & Staff
Assisting Students in Distress
General mental health concerns:
Call Student Counseling,
320-589-6060
Potential risk for harm to self or others:
Call Student Counseling,
320-589-6060
* After hours contact Campus Police
320-589-6000
Immediate risk to self or others:
Call 911
Resources
Red Folder: Responding to Students in Distress—Web Version
Red Folder: Responding to Students in Distress—Printable Version
Talking to Students About Your Concerns
Written Guidelines
Includes general principles for recognizing signs of distress in students, talking with students about yours concerns, and making appropriate referrals.
Interactive Training module: Student Mental Health
Supplements the written guidelines by providing actual practice in faculty-student dialogs and making mental health referrals.
Campus Community Response Team
Provides supportive services to groups of students affected by traumatic events.
Boynton Mental Health Training
The Boynton Mental Health training developed in part with PRISMH is now available for faculty and staff.
Access Boynton Mental Health Training
Recommended Mental Health Syllabus Statement
The purpose of this statement is to highlight the University of Minnesota’s commitment to student mental health and to connect students with appropriate campus resources.
More information on recommended syllabus statements »
Additional Resources
Student Counseling
is available for consultation by students, faculty and staff, and parents who have mental health concerns about student.
Disability Resource Center
Academic Alert
Expand all
General Guidelines
If you choose to approach a student you are concerned about or if a student reaches out to you, these suggestions might make the experience more comfortable for you and more helpful for the student.
What To Do
If possible,
gather information
before you intervene. Knowing where to refer a depressed or anxious student ahead of time might save time and increase the student's confidence in you.
Ensure privacy
when you talk and choose a time when you are not preoccupied or rushed. If you are concerned about your safety or about anyone's behavior being misinterpreted, ask you supervisor or a trusted colleague to join you and explain why to the student.
Express concern
in specific, nonjudgmental, behavioral terms (“I noticed you haven’t been to class in three weeks” not “Where have you been lately?”)
Be honest
and direct; say what you mean and mean what you say.
Listen
to the student in a sensitive, non-threatening way.
Clarify
your understanding by asking questions.
Demonstrate
your understanding by repeating back the essence of what the student has said. Try to include both the
content
(“So you are new to this campus…”) and the
feelings
(“…and you are feeling overwhelmed.”)
Communicate hope
by reminding the student that there are always options, and things tend to look different with time.
Recommend resources
appropriate to the problem. Included below is a listing of university offices that may be of help. Remind the student that using resources is a sign of strength and courage, not weakness or failure.
Maintain professionalism
and be clear about what you can and cannot do.
Respect
the student’s value system and culture.
Follow up
in a reasonable length of time.
Recognize
that the student may not immediately welcome or act upon your interventions, but you may plant a seed that blossoms later and it is never wrong to communicate kindness and concern.
Consult
with other professionals about your concerns by contacting any of the offices listed below.
Document
concerns using Academic Alert System
A Few Things to Avoid
Don't
judge, evaluate or criticize, even if asked; usually this shuts down communication.
Don't
be a hero or savior; recognize the limits of your role and refer to other professionals.
Don't
give special consideration to a student unless you would do it for any student in a similar situation.
Don't
make promises you cannot or will not keep.
Don't
promise absolute confidentiality in all circumstances; if the student or others are in danger, you will need to act.
Don't
be afraid to intervene for fear you will say the wrong thing; saying nothing to a suffering person is almost always worse.
Suicidal Behavior
Remember: People who talk about suicide, threaten to commit suicide or call suicide crisis centers are 30 times more likely than average to kill themselves.
Suicide is a very serious mental health concern. A student may indicate a specific suicidal plan. The student may also express suicidal thoughts which can include expressing a wish to die. Sometimes this can be a plea for help or a warning.
How to Respond
Stay calm and listen
Take threats and thoughts seriously
Don’t agree to secrecy
De accepting; do not judge
Get help
If a student has harmed him/herself in any way, tells you he/she has taken pills (including over the counter medications) or has an immediate suicide plan, call 911.
If the student reports this in an email
call 911 and share this information with the responder
If the student is on the phone
, and there is no one availiable to assist you with the situation, get the students address, phone number, and call 911. Let the student know you will call him/her after you get some resources to assist them.
If there is someone available to assist you with this situation
, pass that individual a note to call 911 and keep the student on the line.
If a student is expressing suicidal thoughts, appears depressed or shows other distressing behaviors but does not indicate an immediate plan and/or can reassure you that they are “safe,” call
Student Counseling
320-589-6060
to get a follow-up appointment.
More information about Crisis Consultation
Disruptive Behavior
You note that a student has had a marked change in behavior or habits - he or she has stopped attending class, performs more poorly, rarely interacts, is poorly groomed, or appears exhausted. The student may behave inappropriately by speaking loudly or out of turn or off-topic, or in ways that are strange and off-putting to others. What do you do?
How to Respond:
Talk
with the student in a private setting.
Express
your concerns, noting the behaviors you have observed.
Listen
to thoughts and feelings in a non-judgmental way.
Ask
if help is needed or wanted, and what might be of help.
Set Limits
by clarifying what is and is not acceptable behavior, and what the consequences will be for noncompliance.
Give Support
and understanding wherever you genuinely can.
Refer
to professional care if needed by giving contact information about available services listed below.
Consult
with others as appropriate (faculty, Student Counseling, Student Affairs, other University offices). Questions about whether or not student behavior violates the Student Conduct Code, should be directed to your Division Chair.
The University of Minnesota’s Student Conduct Code (pdf)
Follow up
with the student in a reasonable period of time.
Severly disruptive behavior that endagers the student or others must be dealt with immediately by calling 911.
Stalking
Stalking may be best defined as unwanted pursuit. Students have been known to stalk staff or faculty, sometimes without the victim recognizing it as stalking. Stalking can reflect many different behaviors including:
Following or surveillance
Inappropriate approaches and confrontations
Appearing at a place of work or residence
Unwanted telephone calls
Unwanted letters
Unwanted email
Unwanted or threatening gifts
Threats
Threats to family and friends
Damage to property
Physical assault
Sexual assault
How To Respond
Get advice from a University or other resource below.
Tell the stalker “no” in regards to the unwanted behavior once and only once. Do not give him or her the satisfaction of a reaction again. The more you respond, the more you teach him or her that his actions will elicit a response.
Do not respond to email (a “returned unread” email is a response).
Document everything. Keep tapes from answering machines, letters, gifts, etc. Keep a log of any suspicious occurrences. This documentation will increase your ability to take disciplinary or legal action if necessary.
Keep a cell phone with you at all times, even inside your home. (Note: a cell phone that does not have service can still dial 911)
Restraining Orders
Many stalking victims are routinely told to get restraining orders. Unfortunately, a restraining order is no guarantee that the stalker will stop or that the police will be able to intervene. Some stalkers such as former intimate-partner stalkers who are very invested in the relationship and stalkers suffering from delusional thinking are unlikely to respect restraining orders. Sometimes a restraining order can worsen the situation. Discuss the Pros and Cons of restraining orders with one of the resources below before seeking one. Stalking is a misdemeanor in Minnesota (unless stalking occurs across state lines in which case it is a felony).
Disability Issues
Students may inform you that they have a disability. They may ask you to make a modification (e.g. extra time on exams, a change in due dates, or alternate assignments) to allow them to succeed in your course. It can be difficult to determine what is fair for students requesting modifications and what is fair to the other students in the class. Understanding your role when presented with this information will allow students to get the assistance they are entitled to and allow you to provide optimal educational opportunities for all students, including those with disabilities.
How To Respond
Talk with the student in a private setting.
Refer students to the
Disability Resource Center
if they are requesting a modification in the course. The Disability Resource Center will work with the student to obtain documentation of a disabling condition, identify and assist with implementation of reasonable accommodations, and communicate in writing to the instructor if classroom accommodations are necessary.
Assure the student that you are willing to provide reasonable accommodations. However, it is the role of the Disability Resource Center, with your input, to determine what is reasonable and to communicate this to you in writing.
Contact the Disability Resource Center if you have questions regarding the accommodation process, recommended accommodations, or your role in the process.
Be proactive. Encourage students to disclose the existence of a potential disability condition to the Disability Resource Center. The Disability Resource Center recommends that University faculty use the following statement on their course syllabi to inform students of their willingness to provide reasonable accommodations:
“It is University policy to provide, on a flexible and individualized basis, reasonable accommodations to students who have documented disability conditions (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, or systemic) that may affect their ability to participate in course activities or to meet course requirements.”
More information about University Policy on Disabilities:
Board of Regents Policy on Disability Services
University Policy Library
Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the
Disability Resource Center
to have a confidential discussion of their individual needs for accommodations. The Disability Resource Center is located in Briggs Library 240.
320-589-6178
How to tell when a student needs help
Today many students come to the University of Minnesota with complex issues that can have a major impact on their lives as students. The stress typically associated with the college years may be compounded by social, health, financial, family, and work issues. As a result, some students may experience a decline in academic performance, engage in harmful behaviors such as substance abuse and attempts at suicide, or exhibit other symptoms of distress. As a faculty or staff member you may come into contact with students who share information or exhibit behaviors that indicate that they are in need of assistance with a problem or concern. This contact provides you with a unique opportunity to refer students to appropriate resources. Such action may be a critical factor in saving students' academic careers - or even their lives.
If you feel a student may be in a crisis, please refer to
Crisis Consultation
Unfortunately, there is no magic number or combination of indicators which definitively prove that a student is in need of assistance. The existence of several indicators, however, may show a pattern of behavior that needs to be investigated. In such instances, you may wish to share your concern directly with the student, consult one of the campus resources for advice, or refer the student to an appropriate resource. The following indicators will help alert you to a student who may need assistance:
Radical/abrupt change in behavior
Sudden withdrawal from interaction with faculty, staff, and peers
A dramatic decrease in academic performance
A decline in class attendance and/or participation
Sudden outbursts of anger or crying
Chronic fatigue or low energy
High levels of irritability
Dramatic weight loss or gain
Marked changes in personal hygiene
References to suicide
References to hopelessness and despair
Recent major life trauma, such as the death or serious illness of a loved one
Excessive use of alcohol or other drugs
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