Helping Students in Distress

As faculty, staff, or administration, you will likely encounter students in distress. Your role as a potential helper is not only valuable, but it could also be crucial. In many cases, you will be able to respond effectively to student needs; however, there might be occasions when you want to refer a student to someone else for assistance.

This resource is offered to help you recognize signs of student distress and offer a framework for effective interventions; however, each student presents a unique situation. If you are concerned about a student’s behavior and/or health, it is always wise to seek professional consultation. The CFL Office Staff are prepared to respond to questions should you need help making a referral.

Signs and Symptoms of Distress

  • Excessive procrastination or very poorly prepared work, especially if inconsistent with previous work
  • Dependency (e.g., a student who hangs around your office or makes excessive appointments)
  • Listless, low energy or falling asleep in class
  • Poor attendance in class or at work
  • Marked changes in hygiene, appearance or behavior
  • Isolation
  • Repeated requests for special consideration, such as deadline extensions or examination deferrals
  • Impaired or garbled speech; disjointed thoughts
  • Threat of harming self or others
  • Behavior that regularly interferes with the decorum or effective management of class
  • Overtly suicidal statements (i.e. referring to suicide or self-harm as a current option)
  • High levels of irritability
  • Inability to make decisions, despite repeated attempts to clarify and encourage
  • Apparent alcohol or substance abuse
  • Dramatic weight loss or weight gain
  • Bizarre or strange behavior obviously inappropriate to the situation (e.g., talking to “invisible” people)
  • Emotions (e.g., fearful, tearful or nervous) displayed to an extreme degree or for prolonged periods

Guidelines for Interacting

  • Talk with the student privately
  • Listen carefully
  • Show concern and interest
  • Paraphrase or summarize to clarify
  • Avoid criticizing or judging
  • Consider the CFL as a resource and discuss referral with the student
  • If the student declines help and you are worried, contact the CFL to discuss your concerns with the Director of CFL & Campus Mental Health
  • Involve yourself only to the extent you feel comfortable; extending yourself can be gratifying when within your range of comfort

Referral

  • Suggest the student schedule an appointment for therapy. Provide the phone number, URL, and location for the CFL to the student.
    • (316) 295-5638
    • www.friends.edu/cfl
    • southeast corner of campus between the Casado Campus Center and Friends Village
  • You may also call the CFL while the student is in your office and then hand the phone to the student to complete a telephone intake or ask questions about services
  • Sometimes it may be useful or necessary to walk a student to the CFL
  • Follow-up with the student by inquiring whether they kept their appointment and how the session went
  • In an emergency, ComCare Community Crisis Center provides a local, 24-hour crisis hotline at (316) 660-7500 that provides telephone intervention, in-person services, and a mobile unit.

Confidentiality

The information from therapy sessions will remain confidential with the CFL and guidelines established by Kansas state regulations.

We can

  • Answer questions about how to refer students to the Center on Family Living
  • Offer information about psychological issues in general

We can’t

  • Discuss content of therapy sessions
  • Say whether a student is being seen or kept an appointment
  • Discuss treatment plans or progress

In some cases, a student may find it in their best interest for a student therapist to share information with a faculty, staff, advisor, coach, residence life personnel, other campus contacts, family member or significant other. Disclosing therapy-related information can occur with a student’s written authorization that includes a clear explanation of the purpose and content of the disclosure. An exceptional circumstance where confidentiality would not be recognized would be a student therapist’s determination of imminent danger to the student or others.

Reasons for Referral Failure

Upon occasion, despite good intentions and accurate knowledge of resources, referral for therapy is not successful. Before you judge yourself, the student or the CFL too harshly, consider the following possibilities.

  • The student might not have been ready for help.
  • There may have been disparity between the student’s expectations and services provided by the assigned student therapist.
  • The CFL might not have been the appropriate referral source needed.
  • The student therapist might not have understood the student’s needs.

Follow Up

  • If a referral proves unsuccessful, continue to be receptive to the student, try to determine the reason for the unsuccessful referral and explore other options.
  • Try to further clarify the student’s needs and expectations to assess the appropriateness of the initial referral and refer again.
  • If incompatibility seems to be a problem, encourage the student to contact the CFL and request to be reassigned to a different student therapist or ask for community referrals.
  • If lack of readiness appears to be a problem, accept the student’s feelings; communicate limitations and encourage consideration of other options (under different circumstances, the student might be more receptive).