Description
Students occasionally come into an advising office specifically to talk about a crisis, but more commonly crises will emerge during a discussion with students about why they want to drop a class or why their grades fell during the previous term. Advisers perform an important service by being alert to these openings and helping students acknowledge and seek solutions to their problems. Some students may even feel more comfortable initially talking to an adviser about a crisis than seeking counseling. It is helpful for advisers to be prepared in advance for such situations by understanding how best to help the student in the advising office, and refer the student to appropriate campus resources.
How to detect a student in crisis
The most obvious way a student may present a crisis is by verbally describing the crisis he/she is experiencing. Typical examples include: “I feel so down I just can’t study,” “I’m so worried that my boyfriend is going to hurt me,” etc. Crying or expressions of anger or other strong emotions are also easily observable signs of distress that students might display. Students may also suggest the presence of a crisis in much less observable ways, such as making subtle comments. For example, a student may say to the adviser “Maybe I should just leave the U,” “None of this makes sense to me anymore,” or “I guess my life is so messed up, I just haven’t been studying.” Some students may say nothing to indicate a crisis, but may show their distress in other ways, such as fighting back tears during the advising appointment.
What to do with a student in crisis?
When students present obvious or subtle signs of crises, an adviser expecting to discuss class choices or major requirements can understandably be caught off guard, and may experience a range of feelings from discomfort to feeling completely overwhelmed. It is helpful to remember that advisors should not attempt to take on a counseling role to help a student in crisis. Advisers can take three basic steps to help these students:
- Support the student for revealing the crisis; express concerns and empathy for the student’s welfare;
- Discuss University resources available to help the student;
- Facilitate a referral to an appropriate campus resource.
If the student is expressing only subtle signs of crisis it is appropriate for the adviser to ask general questions inviting the student to discuss the concerns more openly. Questions such as “How worried are you about this problem?” or “How upset are you about _________?” and statements such as “You look like you are feeling pretty upset right now” can help a student reveal more about his/her distress. Just taking a few minutes to listen to the student’s concerns can be a very helpful, non-intrusive way to help the student relieve some of the emotional stress of the situation.
Once the student has revealed more about what the crisis is, basic statements such as “I am glad you are letting me know this is happening for you,” can help a student feel supported and safe in talking about the crisis. It is also helpful to express empathy, not sympathy, for the student. Empathy involves letting the student know of one’s concern, while sympathy implies feeling sorry for or taking pity on the student. Examples of simple and effective empathy statements include: “This sounds like a very difficult situation for you,” “I can see why you would be feeling so upset right now,” or “I am sorry to hear that you are having to go through this right now.”
It is important to discuss University resources available to help the student. The University has many resources available to help students in crisis. However, it is likely a student in crisis may not be familiar with the resources or may not be thinking clearly enough to consider using them. The adviser can play a very helpful role in informing students about available resources. One way to begin doing this would be to ask the student if he/she would consider talking with someone who could help with the particular difficulties the student is facing. An adviser may say something like: “I have talked with other students who have faced similar difficulties, and I know that the __________office helps students with these kinds of concerns. Are you familiar with their services?” If the student is not familiar, the adviser could give a very brief description of what the services offer, then ask: “Would you consider going over there to talk with someone?”
If a student feels that he/she would like to contact another University resource, the adviser should facilitate a referral to an appropriate campus resource. The adviser should make sure that the student understands the location of the resource and how to get there from the advising office. If the student is being referred over immediately, it is sometimes helpful for the adviser to call ahead to the campus unit and let a person on call know that the student is coming over. An alternative would be to fill out a referral form to be hand-carried by the student, mailed, or faxed over to the campus resource. Under some circumstances, particularly when the safety of the student is a concern, and the adviser feels safe doing so, it is appropriate for an adviser to walk with the student over to the campus unit. For safety and legal reasons it is strongly advised NOT to transport a student in a personal or University vehicle.
Extreme Crisis Issues
If the student’s immediate safety or welfare is an issue but the student is not willing to seek help from another resource, the adviser can call Counseling and Consulting Services or Boynton Mental Health Crisis unit and consult with a professional on the situation. If there are any immediate life- or safety threatening circumstances (such as a serious health crisis or an immediate threat from another person toward the student) it may be necessary to call U emergency (campus 911) and request an ambulance or police officer. In such situations the adviser should also immediately request assistance from colleagues to help manage the situation, and notify a supervisor.
It is important for the adviser to keep appropriate professional boundaries with the student, restricting involvement to appropriate professional activities on the University campus. After-hours phone calls, off-campus meetings or socializing with students in crisis are problematic and risky and must be avoided. Advisers also should avoid promising to “keep secrets” or “not tell anyone” if the crisis involves any threat to the student or another person. Advisers need to consult with a supervisor or with a knowledgeable expert if a student asks the adviser to keep secrets, or invites the adviser to become involved in any type of activity going beyond the professional adviser-student relationship.
University
of Minnesota
Campus Resources for Students in Crisis
University Counseling and Consulting Services
109 Eddy Hall-Minneapolis Campus
199 Coffey Hall-St. Paul Campus
Phone: 612-624-3323
General, academic, and career counseling
Minneapolis office has walk-in crisis appointments at 11:00, 12:00, 1:30, and 2:30, and other times by special request
website: http://www.ucs.umn.edu/
Boynton Health Service
website: http://www.bhs.umn.edu/
Mental Health Services
4th floor, Boynton Health Service Building
Mental Health Clinic Phone 612-624-1444
Crisis counseling available 8:30am - 6pm Monday, 8:30am - 4:30pm Tuesday - Friday
Financial Counseling Services-offered by Lutheran Social Services
4th floor, Boynton Health Service Building
Fridays-8am - 4:30pm
Call LSS at 888-577-2227 to make an appointment
The AuroraCenter (formerly the Program Against Sexual Violence)
407 Boynton Health Service
Office Phone: 612-626-2929
TTY Line: 612-626-4279
24 Hour Crisis Line: 612-626-9111 (staffed by supervised peer volunteers)
website: http://www1.umn.edu/aurora/
International Student and Scholar Services
190 Humphrey Center
Office Phone: 612-626-7100
webiste: http://www.isss.umn.edu/
Office of Student Finance
200 Fraser Hall
Officer Phone: 612-624-1655 (for emergency student loans)
Off Campus Mental Health and Emergency Resources
Hennepin County Crisis Center
Hennepin County Medical Center (downtown Minneapolis)
24-hour crisis phone number: 612-347-3161
Crisis Connection
24-hour crisis phone number: 612-379-6363
Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis
414 S. 8th St., Downtown Minneapolis
Phone: 612-341-1666
