University of New England

Because of your position and visibility on campus as faculty/staff, you may experience distressed students who need assistance.  Being aware of distress signals and sources of help for students can make you feel more confident in handling these situations.  You will not be able to spot every such student, or will every student be willing to accept your assistance.  Nevertheless, you may play an important role in helping a student use resources to cope better.

HOW CAN YOU RECOGNIZE THE TROUBLED STUDENT?
- Departure from normal or socially appropriate behavior
- Major changes in personal relationships
- References to suicide or self harm
- Excessive absences or inconsistent class/work attendance
- Signs of intoxication
- Depressed mood lasting longer than a few days
- Disruptive or acting out behavior
- Behavior that is disoriented, out of touch
- Serious grade probelms or change from consistently good grades
- Unexpected chronic physical symptoms

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
- Always keep safety in mind as you interact with a troubled student.  If danger to you or the student seems near at hand, call SECURITY at ext. 366.
- Listen to the student's desription of the problem.  Take a calm, matter of fact approach.  Ask direct questions.
- Let the student know a situation does not have to reach crisis proportions before seeking help.
- Don't assume the student is just trying to get attention or relief from responsibility.
- When in doubt, consult.  Get in touch with a Counseling Services clinical staff member who can help you: assess the seriousness of the situation, provide information about resources and options, decide how to begin referral, and consider how you can be most effective.

OPTIONS FOR MAKING A REFERRAL
- Suggest the student set up an appointment during Counseling Services hours.  Remind the student that service is free and confidential.
- Suggest the student arrange an appointment from your office.
- Call Counseling Services yourself while the student is with you.
- If the student is in crisis, consider offering to accompany the student to Counseling Services:
     University Campus, Decary 109, ext. 2549 (207-602-2549)

     Westbrook College Campus, Lower Level - Ginn Hall, ext. 4550 (207-221-4550)

KNOW YOUR LIMITS
While you can help many students by simply listening and referring them, some will need much more than you can provide.  Accept that you may be out of your depth.  Some indications that you may have over-extended yourself:
- Feeling stressed/overwhelmed by the situation;
- Feeling angry with the student;
- Having thoughts of "adopting" or otherwise rescuing the student;
- "Reliving" similar experiences of your own.

Counseling is a personal choice.  If the student disagrees with your referral or refuses to seek assistance, and you still feel uncomfortable with the situation, consult with a clinician in Counseling Services.  Because of confidentiality, counselors cannot provide information about a student's participation in services.  However, the student may share information with you, if you choose to follow up directly with him/her.