Recognizing and Responding to Students in Distress: Mental Health Basics

1. Counseling & Psychological Services Basics: Recognizing and Responding to Students in Distress

2. Values and Beliefs about Mental Health Issues • Recognize origins of our beliefs about mental health • Myths about student mental health issues • Often no clear-cut etiology, straightforward treatment, or resolution for problem • Impact of assumptions when responding to students in distress

3. College Student Mental Health • Statistics • Please see “Statistics” Handout

4. College Student Mental Health • Distressed vs. Distressing Students - what is the difference? • Odd or eccentric behavior does not necessarily indicate a mental health problem • Acknowledging own distress or reactions is essential in assisting distressed students

5. Characteristics and Warning Signs of Distressed Students • Normal developmental reactions and responses • Common stressors that students experience • Problems with academic performance • Traumatic change in academic status • Unusual behavior • Traumatic changes in relationships • References to suicide or homicide

6. Responding to Distressed or Distressing Students • General Strategies for responding to distressed students • Responding to ambiguous dangerous behavior • Responding to imminently dangerous behavior

7. Know Your Limits • Are you feeling responsible for the student? • Are you feeling pressure to solve the student's problems? • Are you anxious or stressed out about the student? • Do you know the student personally and may not be objective enough to help? • These feelings suggest a need to seek consultation or make a referral

8. Making Referrals to CPS • Staff and faculty not expected to provide psychological counseling • Considerations for making a referral • Questions to ask yourself before making a referral • Guidelines for talking to students about a referral • Except in emergencies, important to allow students to accept or refuse counseling

9. What you should know about responding to student emergencies • Emergency situations are rare • Immediate and decisive action is necessary when they do occur • What is a psychological or mental health emergency? • Stay calm • Talk to the student in a clear straightforward manner • If they appear to be dangerous to self or others, do not leave the student alone

10. Campus resources for responding to mental health emergencies: • Phone consultation is available from a CPS staff member (831-459-2628) during working hours • You can walk a student over to CPS Central Office for an emergency risk assessment during working hours • Call 911 for UCSC campus police

11. Final Thoughts • Confidentiality • Self-Care

12. Case Study John is a student worker in your office. You have worked with John for over a year. He is very personal and gets along well with the office and other students. You have noticed in the past few weeks that John has begun to distance himself from you and other members of the staff. He appearance has become very disheveled and he looks tired. He has had angry outbursts in the office. He has missed the last three times that he was scheduled to work

13. Case Study • What is your initial reaction to the vignette? • What is your role in the situation? • In regards to this particular student, what issues does this situation present? • What additional information, if any, do you need? • Who, if anyone, would you consult with? • What are your options? • What is your plan of action?

14. Case Study A parent calls your office very concerned about their daughter. The parent shares with you that they daughter has a history of mental health concerns and that she has stopped returning e-mails and phone calls. You are familiar with the student’s mental health concerns and have talked to her in the past about getting help for herself. In your conversation with the student she has never indicated that she wants to harm herself or others. The parent wants you to assure them that they daughter is safe.