Intervention: Suggested Guidelines When Talking With Distressed Students

UW-River Falls Counseling Services

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.
• Involve yourself only as far as you feel comfortable and competent. The Counseling Services staff and other professionals on the campus are available to assist you.

Consultation: Exploring Your Options

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. Once you contact us, a counselor will be made available to you for consultation immediately or very soon thereafter. Office hours are 8 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. Call us at 425-3884, inform the receptionist who you are, and ask to speak with a personal counselor. A brief consultation may help you sort out the relevant issues and explore alternative approaches.

Referral: Getting Help for the Student

When you discuss a referral for counseling with a student, it would be helpful for the student to hear your concerns in a clear and concise manner and why you think counseling would be helpful.

When should I refer a student to Counseling Services?

The decision to refer a student to Counseling Services 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 towards you or others
• Lack of energy
• Marked change in personal hygiene
• Bizarre or strange behavior
• Sadness, tearfulness
• Frequent binge eating episodes or extreme loss of appetite
• Dependency, e.g., the student who 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 or lacerations on face and/or body