Concerned About A Student

• Exhibiting changes in body symptoms: stress headaches, back or chest pain, upset stomach, trouble sleeping.
• Increased feelings of anxiety, restlessness, worrying, forgetfulness, lack of focus or trouble concentrating.
• Loss or increase of appetite
• Social withdraw or isolation
• Conflict with peers, significant others, friends, etc.

If a student wants to talk:

• Accept and respect what is said
• Help determine what needs to be done or changed
• Try to focus on an aspect of the problem that is manageable
• Avoid giving advice, judging, evaluating, and/or criticizing
• Avoid easy answers such as, “Everything will be all right”
• Help the student recall constructive methods used in the past to cope; get the person to agree to do something constructive to change
• Offer yourself as a caring person until professional assistance has been obtained
• Trust your insight and reactions
• Attempt to address the student’s needs and seek appropriate resources
• Avoid contributing unnecessarily to the student’s guilt or sense of failure
• Do not swear secrecy or offer confidentially to the student
• Encourage the student to seek help
• Respect the student’s value system, even if you don’t agree
• When called for, let the student know you are worried about his/her safety
• If you are concerned the student may be feeling hopeless and thinking about suicide, ask if he/she is contemplating suicide. It is important to remember that talking about suicide is a cry for help and is not to be ignored. Ask specific questions and then contact the University Police with the following information:
  • What the thoughts of suicide are?
  • Is there a plan to end one’s life?
  • Has the student made a recent attempt?
  • How long the thoughts of suicide have been occurring for the student?
  • After the student leaves your office, make some notes documenting your interactions in case you need to explain this to a professional. The more details you provide, the better the provision of care for the student.
  • Consult with others regarding your experience

• Serious grade problems or a change from consistently passing grades to unaccountably poor performance
• Excessive absences, especially if students have previously demonstrated consistent attendance
• Unusual or markedly changed patterns of interaction including avoidance of participation, excessive anxiety when called upon, domination of discussion, etc.
• Emotionally troubling characteristics that suggest students are having trouble managing stress successfully i.e., a depressed, lethargic mood, very rapid speech, swollen and/or red eyes, marked change in personal dress and hygiene, falling asleep during class, etc.
• Mild or inconsistent symptoms typically characteristic of a psychological disorder i.e., mood swings, inattention, lethargy
• Frequent and unrealistic need for attention from instructor
• Inability to recognize and respect appropriate boundaries
• Appears generally angry at the world, blames others for problems

For these behaviors or problems, you can choose to handle them in the following ways:

• Provide information about where a person can get help. This can often be the best kind of help.
• Offer to make contact with the Counseling Center on the student’s behalf by calling (219) 989-2366.
• Talk it over with a colleague or department chair person
• Depending on the situation, consider involving police
• If your concern is ignored, and the student escalates, contact the Student Behavioral Intervention Team (SBIT)
• Document in writing what you have observed, the interaction and recommendations suggested.
• Complete the Student of Concern Form through the Office of the Dean of Students.

• Repeated requests for special consideration, such as deadline extensions, especially if students appear uncomfortable or highly emotional while disclosing the circumstances prompting the request
• New or repeated behaviors that push the limits of decorum and interferes with effective management of the immediate environment.  An example might be repeated “off topic” questions during a lecture(s)
• Unusual or exaggerated emotional responses which are obviously inappropriate to the situation
• Unusual and/or bizarre behavior
• Suspected substance use and/or abuse. Ask specific questions and then contact University Police with the following information:
  • What the thoughts of suicide are?
  • Is there a plan to end one’s life?
  • Has the student made a recent attempt?
  • How long the thoughts of suicide have been occurring for the student?

For these behaviors or problems, you can choose to handle them in the following ways:

• Provide information about where a person can get help.  This can often be the best kind of help.
• Offer to make contact with the Counseling Center on the student’s behalf by calling 219-989-2366.
• Talk it over with a colleague or department chair person
• Depending on the situation, consider involving the University Police
• If your concern is ignored, and the student escalates, contact the Student Behavioral Intervention Team (SBIT)
• Document in writing what you have observed, the interaction and recommendations suggested
• Complete the Student of Concern Form through the Office of the Dean of Students.

• Highly disruptive behavior i.e., hostility, aggression, violence, abusive relationships, etc.
• Deficits in skills or functions that regulate emotion i.e., cognition, emotion, behavior, and relationships
• Inability to communicate clearly i.e., garbled, slurred speech, disconnected, disjointed, or rambling thoughts
• Loss of contact with reality i.e., seeing or hearing things that others cannot see or hear, beliefs or actions greatly at odds with reality or probability such as visual, auditory and olfactory hallucinations
• Stalking behaviors
• Inappropriate communications i.e., threatening letters, e-mails, harassment, etc.
• Harms others, destroys property, etc.
• Overtly suicidal thoughts such as:
• Suicidal ideation, suicide attempts or suicidal acts
• Referring to suicide as a current option or in a written assignment
• Ask specific questions and then contact University Police with the following information:
  • What the thoughts of suicide are?
  • Is there a plan to end one’s life?
  • Has the student made a recent attempt?
  • How long the thoughts of suicide have been occurring for the student?

For these behaviors or problems, you can choose to handle them in the following ways:

• Remain calm and know who to call for help, if necessary.  Find someone to stay with the students while calls to the appropriate resources are made.
• Remember that it is NOT your responsibility to provide the professional help needed for a severely troubled/disruptive student.  You need only to make the necessary call and request assistance.
• When students express a direct threat to themselves or others, or act in a bizarre, highly irrational or disruptive way, call the University Police emergency phone number, 219-989-2222 or call 911.
• Document in writing what you have observed, the interaction and recommendations suggested
• Complete the Student of Concern Form through the Office of the Dean of Students.