Working with the Troubled or Disruptive Student

Working with the Troubled or Disruptive Student A Faculty and Staff Development Program For information or questions about the program, contact: The Counseling and Wellness Center [392-1575] The Dean of Students Office [392-1261]

Faculty and Staff as Resources Campus personnel interact with students in a variety of contexts: • Teaching and Research Faculty • Graduate Teaching and Research Assistants • Instructors • Support Staff • Academic Advisors and Office of the Registrar • Student Affairs Personnel, e.g., Financial Aid, Reitz Union, Career Resource Center, Dean of Students, Counseling, Housing and Recreation staffs • Student Organization Advisors

Faculty and Staff as Resources Faculty and Staff are: • Knowledgeable of students and their particular developmental stage • Aware of the stressors that students encounter • Representatives of the institutional ethic of care • Knowledgeable of the campus organization and resources • Gatekeepers for intervention and referral to helping resources

The Learning Environment: Establishing Expectations Explain the importance of a classroom/learning culture • Define expectations for the classroom in the course syllabus; Discuss and clarify • Be consistent • Introduce expectations early and model the desired behaviors • Language • Punctuality • Respect • Consult about the scope and application of expectations

Self-Care for Faculty/Staff • Be aware of your limitations and when you may benefit from assistance and consultation • Make use of campus and community resources (See the Faculty 911 Guide) • Consult with others, e.g., faculty, staff, administrators, counselors, public safety, Dean of Students • Review your experience and make a follow up plan with supervisor/consultant • Document interactions

Recognizing and Responding to Troubled and Disruptive Students

The Challenge of Change • Over time persons experience periods of increased stress when challenges related to decisions, goals and relationships arise. Often these experiences are accompanied by thoughts and emotions which produce sadness, anxiety, frustration, anger and confusion • While stressful, with support and help these periods of adjustment are often resolved with renewed perspectives on life, study and work

The Challenge of Change cont. • A persistence of sadness, anger, confusion and isolating behaviors may indicate a deepening concern and need for consultation • The goal of a supportive intervention is to provide the assistance necessary to help the student re-establish equilibrium

Tips for Recognizing the Troubled Student • Mildly troubled students Behaviors do not necessarily disrupt others but indicate that something is troubling the student. There may be: • A decrease in achievement and diminished motivation • Increased absences • Difficulties with concentration and focus • Marked changes in interaction patterns with instructor and peers, e.g., avoidance, dependency

Mildly Troubled Students cont: • Altered mood states, sadness, anxiety, irritability, lethargy • Fatigue and sleeping in class • Pre occupation • Missed deadlines or incomplete work • Diminished self-care including poor hygiene • A reticence but will consider accepting and acting on an offer of help

Tips cont. • Moderately troubled students may: • Exhibit more significant changes in mood and behavior and often present themselves as feeling helpless • Make repeated requests for special consideration or adjustment to academic requirements • Express emotions more intensely, particularly when related to requests for relaxation of academic responsibilities or issues of fairness • May behave in ways that are mildly disruptive to the classroom culture, e.g., angry outbursts, walking out, failing to collaborate, attacking the opinions of others • May be less receptive of an offer to help

Helping the Mildly or Moderately Trouble Student • Consult with others on how best to constructively address your concerns and offer help • Work with the student on an individual level • Address specific behaviors that represent infractions of the classroom learning culture –provide corrective and formative feedback • Be clear about expectations and consequences • Refer the student to campus resources (e.g., Counseling and Wellness Center, Dean of Students, Student Health Services, Academic Advisement) • Document your intervention and follow up to encourage the student to utilize resources

Recognizing the Severely Troubled and Disruptive Student The Severely Troubled/Disruptive Student may: • Be less likely to accept help and may view efforts to assist as intrusive and unwanted • Exhibit more intense expression of emotions with little regard for classroom decorum or deference to the role of instructor • Reflect poor self-care and demonstrate a lack of empathy for others • Regularly fail to attend class, be tardy and communicate a heightened sense of entitlement • Be verbally antagonistic to peers/instructor

The Severely Troubled and Disruptive Student cont. • Be unwilling to collaborate with team members and resist assuming responsibility • Have difficulty communicating, slurred speech or confused content • Exhibit a confused sense of reality or be highly suspicious of others • Engage in stalking behaviors or inappropriate forms of contact such as veiled or threatening e-mails • Be hyper-vigilant and reactive to other’s opinions • Make veiled or overt references to suicidal or homicidal thoughts (May be in oral and written formats)

Tips for Responding to the Severely Troubled and Disruptive Student • Attend to your personal need for safety • Have someone meet the student with you • Meet in an area where resources are available to you • Use consultation resources • Supervisor/Dept. Chairperson • Counseling and Wellness Center • Dean of Students • If you think the student may become physically agitated, contact campus police at (392-1111) and have them present

Tips for Responding to the Severely Troubled and Disruptive Student If the student is agitatedand/or a threat to harm themselves or others • Keep a safe distance; Avoid touching the person • Attempt to maintain a calm demeanor • Avoid escalating your voice level and using provocative language • Remove yourself by indicating you will find someone else they can talk to … Get help and contact the campus police for assistance (392-1111)

Tips for Responding to the Severely Troubled and Disruptive Student If the student is able to discuss the problem and does not pose an imminent threat: • Respect and try to understand the student’s perspectives and convey an attitude of sincerity • Avoid promising the student confidentiality • Focus on an aspect of the problem that can be managed • Explore what has worked successfully in the past • Make constructive suggestions but avoid making promises • Identify options and resources

Tips for Responding to the Severely Troubled and Disruptive Student • Encourage the student to use help and offer ways to access the resources • If concerned, ask the student if s/he is considering not wanting to live – Often the person is looking for someone to notice their suffering. If yes, get help • Discuss your experience with your supervisor; Plan for next steps • Contact the Dean of Students Office to communicate your concern and utilize resources of the Behavioral Consultation Team (352-392-1575)

Helping the Suicidal Person If you think the student may be suicidal: • Listen to the person; Allow time • Ask the question • Are you thinking about killing yourself? • Are you thinking about not wanting to live? • Promote the idea of getting help • Refer to campus and community resources • Counseling and Wellness Center (352-392-1575) • After Hours: Alachua County Crisis Center (352-264-6789) • If an emergency, call UFPD at 392-1111 • Consult with your supervisor, document your interactions and efforts to help and plan for follow up

Referring for Help • The best referral involves taking the person directly to someone who can help. • The next best referral is getting a commitment from them to accept help, then making the arrangements to get that help. • The third best referral is to give referral information and try to get a good faith agreement that student will seek assistance. Any willingness to accept help at some time, even if in the future, can be a positive outcome. • Follow Up

How to Get Help A Decision Making Tree and Resource Guide for Working with the Troubled and Disruptive Student

Campus and Community Resources University Resources • Dean of Students Office 352-392-1261 • Counseling and Wellness Center352-392-1575 • Student Health Services 352-392-1161 • University Police Department 352-392-1111 • Office of Victim Services 352-392-5648 • International Center 352-392-5323 • Housing and Residence Education 352-392-2171 • Division of Student Affairs 352-392-1265 • Employee Assistance Program 352-392-5787

Resources cont. Community Resources • Alachua County Crisis Center 352-264-6789 • Alachua County Sheriff 911 • Gainesville Police Department 911 • Alachua County Fire/Rescue 911 • Gainesville Fire/Rescue 911 • Information and Referral Services 352-332-4636 • Meridian/Crisis Stabilization Unit 352-374-5600 • Shands at Vista 352-265-5481

Case Study 1 • Phase 1: Several students have mentioned their concern for a fellow member of the class, one of their friends. They note that the student has been attending classes irregularly and does not appear to be very motivated. Efforts on their part to help have been met with the friend minimizing their concerns. They want to know what they can do to be helpful. • Questions for discussion: • What concerns are present? • What suggestions can the faculty/staff member make to the students?

Case Study 1 • Phase 2: Several days later one of the students returns to let you know that though the group again tried to assist, they were rebuffed. The student informs you that she believes her friend is worsening. He does not attend classes and sleeps a lot during the day. She also notes that he has not come out of his room very much. He writes e-mails that reflect his dark mood and cynicism. She speculates that perhaps this has something to do with her friend’s recent relationship breakup. Questions for discussion: • What additional concerns are present? • What suggestions can the faculty/staff member make to the student?

Case Study 1 • Phase 3: At your suggestion that male student comes in to talk with you. His appearance is disheveled and his speech is slow. He appears to be very tired or sad. Over the course of your conversation with the student, he indicates that he is not very interested in school anymore and is so far behind that he doesn’t see the sense in trying to catch up. You discuss several options for him including withdrawal. He says that he cannot withdraw because he would not have anywhere to live. When you ask what he plans to do, he says that it really doesn’t matter; no one would miss him not being around. • Questions for discussion: • What concerns are present? • What actions might be taken to be helpful?

Case Study 1 • Phase 4: The student does not like the idea of talking with a counselor, even though you offer to walk him over for help. He gets up to leave and says that he wishes everyone would just leave him alone. Whatever he does with his life, it is not anyone’s business. • Questions for discussion: • What is helpful at this point? • What resources are available? • What follow-up would be suggested?

Case Study 2 • Phase 1: A student approaches an advisor and asks to talk with him about something she has heard from another female in one of her classes. She begins by requesting that what she shares be kept confidential. She doesn’t want it getting back to her friend that she broke her confidence. The student proceeds to tell the advisor about a series of e-mails received by her friend which describe another student’s attraction to her. Her friend has told her that she if very uncomfortable with the male who sits beside her in class and has made overtures towards her. Though she has tried to ignore him, he continues to try and get her attention. Recently he has tried talking to her before and after class.

Case Study 2 • Questions for discussion: • What concerns are present at this point? • What additional information may be helpful? • What are the next steps to be taken by the advisor?

Case Study 2 • Phase 2: The faculty member in a class notices that one of the students appears to be distressed and crying. She approaches her and asks if she is okay. When the student does not calm down, the faculty member asks that she join her outside the classroom. There she is told by the student that another member of the course confronted her before class and told her that he was tired of being ignored by her. She stated that he implied she would be changing her mind soon and would enjoy being with him more than the other guy she was with at the club Thursday night. She relates the problems with increasing e-mails, phone messages and his unwillingness to cooperate with her requests to leave her alone.

Case Study 2 • Questions for discussion: • What concerns are present at this point? • What additional information may be helpful? • What are the next steps of the advisor and what resources are available to help?

Case Study 2 • Phase 3: The male student comes into the advisor’s office the next day and complains that he is being treated unfairly; that he is being accused without people having heard his side of the story. He wants to speak with the department chair. He reports that this has happened before and that he is tired of getting in trouble for other people’s problems. He tells the advisor that he had better get this straightened out. He does not want any problem with people lying about him with graduation coming up next spring. In the course of the conversation, the student angrily denies having any responsibility for the e-mails or interaction with the woman in his class. He blames her for coming on to him and states that she should be the one getting in trouble.

Case Study 2 • Questions for discussion: • What are the priorities for the advisor? • What additional information may be helpful? • What are the next steps and what resources are available to help?

Working with the Troubled or Disruptive Student