Working with Students in Distress Master Class

A Scanlan Center for School Mental Health workshop for college/university faculty and staff

You are in your office, thinking about an interaction with a student that leaves you troubled. Many things are running through your mind. Is this a big deal? Should I call someone about this? Can I help this student myself? Should I even get involved?

For many students, personal matters affect academic performance, and so such interactions are significant and can be a reason to be involved. But these are complicated issues, in complicated times, and getting involved can feel intimidating, resulting in staff and faculty stress.

Students struggle with anxiety, depression, general emotional upset, thoughts of self-harm, physical illnesses, family problems, financial pressures, and others. And having minoritized identities tends to exacerbate these struggles. This can then leave students distressed and seeking your help.

Dates: Thursdays- September 19, 26 and October 3, 10

Learning Outcomes

This workshop helps staff and faculty respond to students in distress. Faculty and staff will learn:

• language and practical skills to help navigate challenging interactions
• signs of what distress looks like
• how to gauge student emotionality
• ideas of what to do and what not to do
• simple language to assist with having the confidence to act when students struggle

Your response may be a conversation or a phone call to one of the many offices and people who work with distressed students every day. You are never alone! There are partners to support you in helping students find campus mental health and well-being resources.

Master Class participant confidence increased in handling student mental health/well-being concerns in these areas:

• Asking about students’ mental health concerns: from 39% to 81%
• Assisting students considering suicide: from 19% to 77%
• Recognizing students in distress: from 36% to 77%
• Referring students to campus resources: from 32% to 74%