Intervention, Consultation & Referral Intervention: Suggested Guidelines When Talking With Distressed Students Openly acknowledging to students that you are aware of their distress, sincerely concerned about their welfare, and willing to help them explore alternative responses, can have a profound and positive effect. We encourage you, whenever possible, to speak directly and honestly with a student when you sense that he/she is in emotional distress. When you are directly involved with a student experiencing distress we recommend the following: Request to see the student in private. This may help minimize embarrassment and defensiveness. Briefly acknowledge your observations and perceptions of their situation. Express your concerns directly and honestly. Listen carefully and try to see the issues from the student's point of view without necessarily agreeing or disagreeing. Attempt to identify the problem. You can help by exploring with the student alternative responses to their present distress. Inappropriate and strange behavior should not be ignored. Comment on what you have observed, but not in a judgmental way. Being flexible with strict procedures may allow a distressed student to respond more effectively. Involve yourself only as far as you feel comfortable and competent. The Counseling Center staff and other professionals on the campus are available to assist you.

Table of Contents Introduction Intervention, Consultation & Referral The Anxious Student The Suspicious Student The Depressed Student The Suicidal Student The Student in Poor Contact with Reality The Student Under the Influence Violence and the Verbally Aggressive Student Departmental Safety Plan Counseling Center Services HOT TOPICS: Take An Online Assessment To See How You Are Doing Emotionally Emergency Contact Information Frequently Asked Questions Services for Students Worried about a Friend? Assisting a Student in Distress Consultation & Outreach Services Training Opportunities Meet our Staff Site Map

Consultation

If you are unsure of how to work with a specific distressed student, we encourage you to consult with one of the counselors on our staff. The Counseling Center has a “Counselor on Duty” that is available for in person or phone consultations during our office hours. Office hours are 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday. Call us at 827-5531, inform the receptionist who you are, and ask to speak with the counselor on duty. A brief consultation may help you sort out the relevant issues and explore alternative approaches.

Referral

When you discuss a referral to the Counseling Center with a student, it would be helpful for that student to hear your concerns in a clear and concise manner and why you think counseling would be helpful. The following questions and answers may be of help in your decision to refer a student to the Counseling Center:

When should I refer a student to the Counseling Center?

The decision to refer a student to the Counseling Center is first based upon your own observations; i.e., does the student show signs and symptoms of emotional distress? While each student experiences emotional distress in a different way, some common indicators you might observe include:

• Expressed suicidal thoughts or attempts

• High levels of irritability including undue aggressive or abrasive behavior expressed toward you or others.

• Lack of energy

• Marked change in personal hygiene

• Bizarre or strange behavior

• Sadness, tearfulness

• Sleeplessness

• Frequent binge eating episodes or extreme loss of appetite

• Dependency, e.g., the student hangs around your office or makes excessive appointments to see you.

• Infrequent class attendance and inadequate effort put into the assignments.

• Falling asleep in class.

• Lack of enthusiasm about various aspects of student life.

• Unusual bruises on face and/or body.

How should I refer a student to the Counseling Center?

You can make a referral to the Center in any of these ways:

• Simply suggest that the student call (Ext. 2-5531) or go to the Counseling Center to make an appointment

• Volunteer to call the Center while the student is with you in order to ensure that contact is made.

• Offer to walk the student over to the Counseling Center.

  Counseling is confidential except when the student presents a danger to himself or herself or others, or when abuse of a child or elder is involved. Our counseling services include time-limited individual counseling, group counseling, and biofeedback training. The initial 8 individual sessions, all group sessions, and biofeedback are offered at no cost to students. If longer-term therapy is indicated, the student may be referred to an appropriate off-campus resource. Additional sessions beyond the initial 8 sessions may require USHIP/GSHIP or a fee for service and are considered on a case by case basis.

Who else can I talk to if I have concerns about a student?

What’s most important to remember is that trained colleagues are standing by to help. The campus police will respond to threats of violence or any other violations of law. The Dean of Students office is available for consultation to faculty and staff. Student Judicial Affairs is responsible for student conduct and can work with the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs to impose an interim suspension (pending a hearing) if a student engages in threatening or grossly disruptive behavior. Therapists at the Counseling Center are available for faculty and staff consultation regarding students of concern. In addition, Counseling Center therapists can work with UCR police to assess the need for a mandatory evaluation if there appears to be an imminent threat to self or others.

Students must be treated fairly and responsibly – just as administrators and faculty members would expect if they were the subject of comparable inquiry – but the campus is not powerless or reluctant to act decisively when threats arise. Our overall process in this regard is coordinated through the Critical Student Incident Team. You may reach the team by contacting the Dean of Students at (951)827-4595, or the Assistant Dean of Students at (951)827-7215. In emergencies call the campus police first at 911 (from campus phones) or (951)827-5222 (from cell phones).