For Faculty

Referral Form (Faculty & Staff)

This form may be used to share your concern about a student and to refer a student to Counseling Services. Please send the completed form in a sealed envelope to: Scott W. Radtke, Associate Dean of Students for Health and Wellness, Counseling Services, SPC 3.

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Student's Name

Reason(s) for concern or referral:

Check all that apply:
I would appreciate a phone call from a Counseling Services staff member to discuss my concerns about the student. Extension:
I have discussed my concern with the student.
I have recommended to the student that s/he seek counseling.
If the student is seen at Counseling Services, and gives permission, I would appreciate being informed that s/he followed through on my referral.

Faculty/Staff Name

Date

Print this form and send it to Counseling Services, SPC 3.

For counseling staff members to receive information about students does not require students’ knowledge or permission. According to law and professional ethics, for counseling staff members to disclose any information about students (including whether they are clients) does require students’ knowledge and written permission. Students have the right to withhold permission for release of information or only give permission for the release of selected information about their situation.

Helping Students in Distress

Tips for faculty & staff: Helping students in distress

This information is provided to assist you in becoming aware of signs of a distressed student, things that you might do to help the student, indicators of possible suicidal ideation, and when and how to make effective referrals for additional help.

Tips for Recognizing Troubled Students

At one time or another, everyone feels depressed or upset. However, there are three levels of student distress which, when present over a period of time, suggest that the problems are more than the “normal” ones.

Level 1

Although not disruptive to others in your class or elsewhere, these behaviors may indicate that something is wrong and that help may be needed:

Serious grade problems
Unaccountable change from good to poor performance
Change from frequent attendance to excessive absences
Change in pattern of interaction
Marked change in mood, motor activity, or speech
Marked deterioration in physical appearance

Level 2

These behaviors may indicate significant emotional distress or either reluctance or inability to acknowledge a need for personal help:

Repeated request for special consideration
New or regularly occurring behavior which pushes the limits and/or may be disruptive to the class
Unusual or exaggerated emotional response

Level 3

These behaviors may usually show that the student is in crisis and needs emergency care:

Highly disruptive behavior (hostility, aggression, etc.)
Inability to communicate clearly (garbled, slurred speech, disjointed thoughts)
Loss of contact with reality (seeing/hearing things that are not there, beliefs or actions at odds with reality)
Overt expressions of current suicidal thoughts or plans
Homicidal threats

What You Can Do To Help

Responses to Level 1 or Level 2 Behavior

Talk to the student in private when you both have time.
Express your concern in non-judgmental terms.
Listen to the student and repeat the gist of what the student is saying.
Respect the student’s value system.
Ask if the student is considering suicide.
Make appropriate referrals if necessary.
Try to make sure the student understands what action is necessary.

Responses to Level 3 Behavior

Stay calm.
Make emergency referral as listed below.

When to Make a Referral

Even though a student asks you for help with a problem and you are willing to help, there are circumstances when you should suggest additional resources:

You are not comfortable in handling the situation.
Personality differences might interfere with your ability to help.
You know the student personally (friend, neighbor, friend of a friend) and think you may not be objective enough to help.
The student is reluctant to discuss the situation with you.
You feel little progress in dealing with the student about these issues over time.
You feel overwhelmed or are pressed for time.

How to Make a Referral

To the student:

Be frank with the student about the limits of your time, ability, expertise, and/or objectivity.
Let the student know that you care and think s/he should get assistance from another source.
Assure her/him that many students seek help during college.
Try to help the student understand what to expect if s/he follows through on the referral.

Consider these questions before making the referral:

What are the appropriate and available resources for the student?
With whom is the student likely to feel most comfortable?
Who will make the initial contact, you or the student?

Consultation is Available

If you have concerns about a student, counselors at Counseling Services are available for consultation. Some of the ways we might help include:

Assessing the seriousness of the situation
Suggesting potential resources
Determining the best way to make a referral
Helping you clarify your own feelings about the student and the situation

Counseling Services

Any currently enrolled student may use the services. Students are encouraged to make their own appointments if possible. There may be a wait of a few days before seeing a counselor for a scheduled appointment. In urgent situations we will assist any student immediately. Be sure to tell the person scheduling the appointment that the situation is urgent. At the student’s first visit s/he will fill out information and consent forms prior to meeting with the counselor. During the first appointment, the counselor will begin to assess the student’s needs and determine the most effective way of helping.

In an Emergency

Try to stay calm. Find someone to stay with the student while calls are made.

For students expressing a direct threat to themselves or others, or who act in a disruptive, bizarre, or a highly irrational way, call:

9-911 on your office phone (or 911 on a local cell phone) if you feel anyone poses an imminent threat to self or others
Counseling Services (8am-5pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday; 8am-7pm Thursday) 6574 on your office phone (or 920-832-6574 on a local cell phone), for immediate consultation. Evenings and weekends you may call 920-419-8167 to speak to the counselor on duty

For students who exhibit severe anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, or any other intense emotional disturbance, but for whom no immediate harm appears likely, please call:

Counseling Services (8am-5pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday; 8am-7pm Thursday) 6574 (or 920-832-6574) for consultation and referral

Do’s and Don’ts in Responding to Suicidality

DO show that you take the student’s feelings seriously.
DO let the student know that you want to help.
DO listen attentively and empathize.
DO reassure that with help (s)he will recover.
DO stay close until help is available or risk has passed.

DON’T try to shock or challenge the student.
DON’T analyze the student’s motives.
DON’T become argumentative.
DON’T react with shock or disdain at the student’s thoughts and feelings.
DON’T minimize the student’s distress.

Adapted from Central Michigan University’s web page. Retrieved from http://www.counsel.cmich.edu/helpingothers/distressed_students_tips.asp

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