Being a Helpful Resouce to Students


Many of our students arrive on campus with a great deal of baggage from their past. Some of this may be related to abuse while other issues may stem from a variety of situations in their home or elsewhere in their environment. Students also experience many things during their years with us. Because we all interact with students in many different ways, both within an academic setting and in informal activities, faculty members and staff are often the people that students reach out to for help. You’re often the people who first recognize a student in distress.

What You Can Do


If you notice that student seems to be having difficulties or is behaving differently than they usually do, you may decide to intervene. If you do, here are some suggestions:

  • Find a time and place where you can talk to the student privately to minimize embarrassment and defensiveness.
  • Listen carefully for both the content and the emotions of the student’s words.
  • Try to express your concern in a non-judgmental way. Respect the student’s value system, even if you don’t agree with it.
  • Help the student identify options for action and explore the possible consequences connected with each choice.
  • Be frank with the student-and yourself-about the limits of your ability to help and your comfort level in doing so.

You May Be in Over Your Head If. . . . . .


  • the situation is life threatening. If you have any concern that the student constitutes a threat to her/himself or others, you should consult with the Counseling Center or Health Center (x5952 or x5418)
  • your “rescue fantasies” are getting the better of you. It’s natural to hope that your relationship with a student will “make a difference”, but sometimes the student’s issues are too complex to be able to benefit from your relationship enough to change long-established patterns. This can result in resentment, frustration, or discouragement for you when things don’t work out.
  • things in your personal life are getting triggered. A student’s personal struggles may bring up emotions or unresolved issues for you. One of the challenges of advising is recognizing your personal issues, dealing with them elsewhere, and keeping them from interfering with the relationship you have with students. the relationship is demanding too much of your time or energy. If you’re feeling resentful about the amount of time spent with a student, you probably cannot be very helpful to that person. If a student is being particularly needy of your time, it may be an indication that there are other issues that may need to be addressed.
  • you are caught up in keeping secrets that make you uncomfortable. If a student shares something and swears you to secrecy, but you feel concerned about harm to or by the student or wonder whether you are legally required to report the information-consultation with the Counseling Center (x5952) or the College Grievance Officer (Cathy Mansor, x5957)-withholding the names of the persons involved-might help you to clarify the situation.
  • you feel like you’re in over your head. Trust your gut feelings.

If You Want to Make A Referral


      Many times, you may be able to provide the support and assistance that the student is seeking. If you’re not comfortable or you think that the student might need additional help, your knowledge of resources may ease a student’s hesitation to seek help from someone else.
  • You can encourage the student to contact the Counseling Center directly to schedule an appointment. You can offer to let the student call from your office. Sometimes it’s not enough just to give them a phone number or office location. They need your support and encouragement to actually make an appointment with someone.
  • If the student desires and you’re comfortable in doing so, you might offer to accompany him/her for the first appointment.
  • Let the student know that on-campus counseling services are confidential and are free of charge. If an off-campus referral is desired or necessary, I’m happy to work with the student to locate an appropriate resource.
  • Counseling may not be the appropriate step at this time or the student may not be ready to take that step right now. I’ll be happy to help the student connect with some other resource on campus or to provide you with some suggestions to share with the student. I have information and resources related to sexual assault, a directory of area twelve step meetings-Alcoholics Anonymous, Adult Children of Alcoholics, Overeaters Anonymous, etc., and a variety of other resource materials, self-help books, etc. that I’m happy to loan to you or to students. If you are looking for a particular type of information, I’ll be happy to see if I might have something or help you locate it elsewhere.

Confidentiality


            Once you make a referral, it’s normal to want to find out what happened and how you can continue to help the student. However, I am bound by the principles of confidentiality as defined by the American Psychological Association and the Ohio Revised Code.
  • I cannot give information about a student without their consent
  • I cannot discuss specifics of a situation
  • I CAN answer your questions about making a referral to the Counseling Center, other campus resources, or off-campus resources
  • I CAN offer you suggestions about counseling concerns and problems in general
  • I CAN listen to information from YOU regarding specific behaviors and your observations about the student. In fact, if you do refer a student to me, I would very much appreciate a call to let me know your concerns and any information you can provide about the situation.

            I am available to consult with you regarding any concerns you have about a student or your relationship with a student. It is possible to talk about most situations without breaching confidentiality-i.e., without naming names. Your privacy and the privacy of the student will be respected. Please let me know how we can work together to provide support to a student in distress.

            Lynn B. Taylor, Ph.D. Director of Counseling Julia Church Health Center 569-5952 (you can leave a confidential message on this phone)
            Other Campus Resources for Helping Students With Personal Concerns
            Sherry Swanson, Director of Health Services Julia Church Health Center, 569-5418 Jon Moody, College Chaplain 124 Hinsdale, 569-5147

Additional Information