Recognizing Students in Distress
It is common for students to feel distress at one time or another due to difficulties with adjustment, stress, anxiety, self-esteem, and relationship problems and may exhibit symptoms such as depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, and more. There are warning signs when symptoms of distress persist over time and may suggest that the problem may be a cause for concern.
A crisis is a situation in which an individual’s usual style of coping is no longer effective, and the emotional or physiological response begins to escalate.
Knowing the severity of a student’s distress is important to providing the best response and support.
You might be the first person to notice, or you might be the first person who is in a position to assist the student. It is not necessary that you take on the role of the student’s counselor. It is important that you consult with campus resources that can speak directly with the student, or refer the student to an appropriate resource. If you encounter a student who exhibits worrisome behaviors, you can contact the appropriate resource(s) listed in this resource guide.
If you believe the situation is an emergency, contact the Public Safety Department at 313-993-1234.
What to Look For
Distress can often look different to us as it is based on the interworking of the individual student. Look for noticeable changes in a person, relative to what you know about the individual. Try to identify groupings of indicators, and note frequency, duration, and severity — not just isolated symptoms. The following indicators of distress, although not an exhaustive list, are some of the most common signs of distress. Use these indicators as a guideline, along with the “What To Do” section of this document.
ACADEMIC INDICATORS OF DISTRESS:
- Sudden decline in quality of work and grades
- Repeated absences
- Disorganized performance
- Multiple requests for extensions
- Overly demanding of faculty and staff time and attention
- Disturbing content in writing or presentation (i.e. violence, death, etc.)
- Continuous classroom disruptions
- You find yourself doing more personal rather than academic counseling during office hours
PHYSICAL INDICATORS OF DISTRESS:
- Marked changes in physical appearance including deterioration in grooming, hygiene, or weight loss/gain
- Excessive fatigue/sleep disturbance
- Intoxication, hangovers, or smelling of alcohol
- Disoriented or “out of it”
- Garbled, tangential, disconnected, or slurred speech
- Behavior is out of context or bizarre
PSYCHOLOGICAL INDICATORS OF DISTRESS:
- Self-disclosure of personal distress such as family problems, financial difficulties, grief, or relationship issues
- Unusual/disproportional emotional response to events
- Excessive tearfulness; panic reactions
- Irritability or unusual apathy
- Verbal abuse (i.e. taunting, badgering, intimidation)
- Expression of concern about the student by their peers
- Delusions and paranoia
SAFETY CONCERNS:
- Unprovoked anger or hostility
- Academic assignments dominated by themes of extreme hopelessness, rage, worthlessness, isolation, despair
- Acting out, suicidal ideation, violent behaviors
- Physical violence (shoving, grabbing, assault, use of weapon)
- Implying or making direct threat of harm to self (self-injury or suicidal thoughts)
- Communicating threats via email, text message, social media
- Stalking or harassing
What to do:
Follow the chart to determine who to contact when faced with a distressed or disruptive student.
Is the student's behavior clearly and imminently risky, dangerous or threatening, including self-harm behavior?
YES
Call Public Safety
313-993-1234
I'M NOT SURE
The student shows signs of distress, and I’m not sure they have the ability to cope. “I’m concerned about this student.” Complete the .
Or contact the Dean of Student's Office to assist with identifying appropriate offices to contact.
The main office number is 313-993-1028
NO
The student is struggling academically and/or personally and could use some support. Complete the .
Or contact the Dean of Students Office.
WHAT TYPE OF COUNSELING APPOINTMENT IS APPROPRIATE?
Level 1: Emergency
Student is at IMMEDIATE RISK:
- Plan/intent of taking their own life or someone else’s life
- Student has taken recent steps to end their life or harm someone else
Level 2: Urgent
Student is dealing with personal crisis that needs rapid attention such as:
- Suicidal or homicidal thoughts
- Recent sexual assault or other significant trauma
- Death of a significant person in their life
- Psychotic thinking (hallucinations, delusions)
Level 3: Standard Appointment
Student is seeking ongoing counseling services for concerns such as:
- Crying spells/tearfulness
- Anxiety/stress/panic attacks/depression
- Relationship concerns/break ups
- Self-image/eating and body image concerns
- Academic difficulties
- Adjustment/homesickness
- Self-esteem/self-confidence
- Trouble making life decisions
Level 4: Consultation
Student not interested in therapy but would like to talk to a therapist about:
- Concern for a friend
- Needing a referral for community provider (for medication or counseling)
Level 1 & Level 2 should be walked over to the Wellness Center and will be seen by a therapist as soon as someone is available.
Level 3 & Level 4 will need to call 313-993-1459, option 2, to schedule an appointment. For concerned faculty and staff regarding student, it is best to call with the student present to get appointment scheduled as a “warm handoff”. These students do not need to be walked over to Counseling Services
All Services in the Wellness Center are Confidential
The Wellness Center staff recognizes the importance of privacy and safety as the basis of effective therapy. We do not share information about students seeking help in the Wellness Center with anyone without written permission. Safeguarding information shared by students in the context of the counselor-client relationship is an ethical and legal responsibility of all 91福利社 clinicians.
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听
Student Confidentiality and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Information about students’ health and safety can be sensitive, and should be treated discreetly. However, the obligation to protect student information must also be balanced with the need for appropriate university officials to be able to communicate about students of concern and ensure they get the help and support they need.
What is FERPA?
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of personally identifiable information from students’ education records. While this law generally prohibits the release of such information without the consent of the student, there are exceptions to FERPA that university officials can use.
Am I violating FERPA if I release information about a student’s educational record?
- 91福利社 faculty and staff may disclose personally identifiable information from an educational record to appropriate individuals in connection with a health and safety concern.
- Information may be released to parents, police, or other 91福利社 personnel if knowledge of the information is necessary to protect the health and safety of the student or other individuals.
- FERPA also includes a broad exception that allows university officials to share information from students’ education records with other school officials within 91福利社 who have “legitimate educational interests” in the information, e.g., if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
Are observations of a student’s behavior protected under FERPA?
- Observations of a student’s conduct or statements made by a student are not educational records protected under FERPA.
- Concerning behavior should be shared with 91福利社 personnel when there is concern for a student’s well-being. This information helps us determine what steps to take to best support the student.
What’s the bottom line?
- If you’re concerned abou