When to Refer: Suicide Prevention

In many cases of student distress, faculty and staff provide adequate help through empathic listening, facilitating open discussion of problems, instilling hope, conveying acceptance, and offering basic advice. In some cases, however, students need professional help to overcome problems and to resume effective coping. The following signs indicate that a student may need counseling:

• The student remains distressed following repeated attempts by you and others to be helpful.
• The student becomes increasingly isolated, unkempt, irritable, or disconnected.
• The student’s academic or social performance deteriorates.
• The student’s behavior reflects increased hopelessness or helplessness.
• You find yourself doing on- going counseling rather than consultation or advising.

How to Refer

• Speak to the student in a direct, concerned, straightforward manner.
• Because many students initially resist the idea of counseling, be caring but firm in your judgment that counseling would be helpful. Also be clear about the reasons that you are concerned.
• Be knowledgeable in advance about the services and procedures of the Counseling and Human Development Center and other campus help-giving agencies. The best referrals are made to specific people or services.
• Suggest that the student call to make an appointment, and provide the Counseling
  and Human Development Center number (7-5223) and location (Byrnes Building, 7th floor).
• Remind the student that services are free (12 per academic year) and confidential.
• Sometimes it is useful to more actively assist students in scheduling an initial counseling appointment. You can offer the use of your phone or call the receptionist yourself while the student waits in your office. In some situations, you may find it wise to walk the student over to the Counseling and Human Development Center.
• If you need help in deciding on whether or not it is appropriate to make a referral, call the Counseling and Human Development Center at 7-5223 for consultation with a professional.

Creating Academic Responsibility Initiative
The Counseling and Human Development Center works closely with The Student Success Center’s Creating Academic Responsibility (CAR) Initiative to refer students to helpful campus resources. If you have a student in your class who is excessively absent or tardy, lacks class participation or preparation or has a sudden or extreme change in performance, and you believe that some type of external intervention would be helpful, please contact the Coordinator for Early Intervention Initiatives, Katie Lynch.

A NOTE ON CONFIDENTIALITY
We are required by law and by professional ethics to protect the confidentiality of all communication between counselor and client (except in cases where harm to self or harm to others is involved). Consequently, we cannot discuss the details of a student’s situation with others or even indicate whether the student is, in fact, in counseling. For information about the student to be released to you or others, we must first get permission from the student.

Awareness of Cultural Differences
Race, ethnicity, cultural background, sexual orientation, and other dimensions of difference are important to keep mind as you help a distressed student. Reactions to racism, sexism, homophobia, disability status, etc. can affect the way in which emotional distress is manifested and also can impact help-seeking behavior. General barriers to seeking help — e.g., denial, fear of being labeled in a negative way, lack of information about campus resources — may be even more troublesome for students from underrepresented groups. Communicating support, concern, and understanding is critical in reaching students who may feel isolated and marginalized. Your sensitivity to the unique needs of international students, LGBT students, students of color, students with disabilities, non-traditional-aged college students, and other underrepresented groups can be important in helping culturally different students get assistance. Furthermore, being knowledgeable about campus resources that address the unique needs of culturally different and underrepresented students is also important.

RESOURCES

Thank you to professional staff at the University of Maryland, College Park, Counseling Center for permission to use this information.