The
Counseling Services staff are available for professional consultation
for UNO faculty,
staff and students regarding
concerns about any distressed student, faculty,
or staff member.
University students often encounter a great deal of stress during the course of their academic experience. While most students cope successfully with the challenges that these years bring, an increasing number of students find that the various pressures of life are unmanageable or unbearable. As faculty members and teaching assistants or staff, you often encounter these distressed students in your office or your classroom. Many of these students have not sought any psychological intervention. Thus, your role is a crucial one in identifying and referring students who are in distress.
Signs and Symptoms of a Student in Distress
Excessive
procrastination and very poorly prepared work, especially
if
this is inconsistent with previous work
Infrequent
class attendance with little or no work completed
Dependency,
e.g., the student who hangs around you, or makes
excesive appointments
to see you during office hours
Listlessness,
lack of energy, or frequently falling asleep in class
Marked
changes in personal hygiene
Repeated
requests for special consideration, e.g.,deadline extensions
Impaired
speech or garbled, disjointed thoughts
Homicidal
threats
Behavior
which regularly interferes with the decorum or effective management
of your class
Overtly
suicidal thoughts, e.g., referring to suicide as a current option,
sometimes seen in written themes or letters
High
levels of irritability, including unruly, aggressive, violent, or abrasive
behavior
Inability
to make decisions despite your repeated attempts to clarify and to encourage
Dramatic
weight loss or weight gain
Bizarre
or strange behavior which is obviously inappropriate to the situation,
e.g., talking to "invisible" people
Normal
emotions that are displayed to an extreme degree or to a prolonged
period of time, e.g., fearfulness, tearfulness, nervousness
Guidelines for Interaction
Talk
to the student in private.
Listen
carefully.
Show
concern and interest.
Repeat
back the essence of what the student has told you.
Avoid
criticizing or sounding judgmental.
Consider
the Counseling Services department as a resource and discuss a referral
with the student.
Contact
the Counseling Services office to discuss your concerns if the
student resists
help and you are worried; an alternative resource for you regarding
a student with unmanageable behavior would be a consultation with the Assistant Dean of Special Student Services at extension 6222.
Involve
yourself only as far as you want to go. Extending yourself can be
a gratifying experience when kept within realistic limits.
How to Make a Referral to Counseling Services
If
you want to make a referral, suggest that the student call or come
in to make an appointment. Give the Counseling Services phone number (280-6683)and location (HPC 112) at that time.
If
you believe that student is unable to make his/her own appointment,
call the receptionist at the Counseling Services office while the
student is in your offices in order to assure that an appointment
is made.
Write down the apppointment information (time, date, location) for
the student.
If
the situation is an emergency, follow #2 above, but state that the
student needs an appointment immediately.
If
you are concerned about a student but are uncertain about the appropriateness
of a referral, feel free to call the Director of Counseling Services
for a consultation.
Services Offered through UNO Counseling Services
All
Services are Confidential
Emergency
care from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Crisis
Intervention
Personal
problem evaluation (including alcohol/substance abuse)
UNO Counseling Services
Human Performance Center |
Room 112 |
2000 Lakeshore Drive |
University of New Orleans |
New Orleans, LA 70148
Phone: (504) 280-6683 |
Fax: (504) 280-6422 Web Administrator
