A Guide for Faculty & Staff It can sometimes be difficult for students at UMB to cope successfully with the demands of their academic, personal, and social life. Sometimes the pressures can become overwhelming and unmanageable.
Faculty and staff are often in the most direct position to identify students in distress. Moreover, in your role you are perceived by some students as role models, mentors, advisors and a source of support. Your expression of interest and concern may be critical in helping a student re-establish the emotional equilibrium necessary for academic success. This guide is designed to provide faculty and professionals with information about Counseling Center services and how to recognize and successfully interact with distressed students. The Counseling Center is located in the HS/HSL Library at 601 W. Lombard St. and may be reached by phone at 410-328-8404. Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and until 7:00 p.m. 2 nights a week by appointment only. Voice mail is activated during lunch hour and messages are promptly returned afterward. If urgent matters arise during that time or if you are calling to make an administrative referral, you may press 0 for assistance from a Counselor. Calls after-hours are received by Student Health attending physicians, who may be reached at 410-328-8792. The Counseling Center provides professional counseling services for full and part-time UMB students. It is the primary on-campus resource for counseling services to students. Counseling services are provided by licensed social workers and medication evaluation and monitoring is provided by board certified psychiatrists. There are no out-of-pocket expenses to students using these services. The Counseling Center works on an appointment basis. Students will normally be given an appointment within one to two weeks of their initial call. However, if a student needs more immediate assistance, please alert us. It is best to have the student call to make the appointment themselves by contacting the Counseling Center at 410-328-8404. The Counseling Center also provides consultation to faculty and staff regarding student-related issues. Students, like anyone, might experience a crisis when the stress exceeds their coping resources. While it is understandable that one might be upset, depressed or anxious in a given situation, the following signs might indicate that the response is persistent and is more than just ‘situational.’ Academic Signs Decline in quality of course work and class participation
Deficient reading speed or comprehension Poor study habits Disruptive behavior in class Incapacitating test anxiety Repeated requests for special consideration Increased absences from class Creative work or writings indicating extreme hopelessness, despair, anger or isolation Lack of alternative goals when failing Chronic indecisiveness or choice conflict
Physical Signs
Dramatic weight loss or gain
Poor personal hygiene
Attending class appearing bleary-eyed, hung over or smelling of alcohol
Deterioration in personal appearance
Observable signs of an injury | Threat to Safety Signs Homicidal threats, expressed verbally or through written content (e.g. assignments, papers etc) Direct reference to suicide or indirect cues (e.g. assignments, papers etc) Behavioral cues suggesting a suicide plan (e.g. giving away possessions, suicide note, accessing means to kill oneself etc) Violent or extremely disruptive behavior Stalking behaviors Giving away treasured personal belongings Feelings of hopelessness or helplessness Suicide Warning Signs Talking or writing about death Expressing no reason for living; no sense of purpose in life Expressions of extreme hopelessness, feeling trapped Giving away personal possessions Putting affairs in order Acting reckless or engaging in risky activities, seemingly without thinking Despondency after significant situational triggers: rejection by a loved one, sudden loss or failure, death of loved one, financial problems | Interpersonal Signs Isolation from friends, family and classmates Unwillingness to communicate Inability to sleep or excessive sleep Unexplained crying or outbursts of anger Irritability, aggressiveness, agitation, nonstop talking Excessive or irrational worrying (at odds with reality or probability) Loss of contact with reality (seeing/hearing things that aren't there; beliefs or actions at odds with reality or probability) Poor communication (garbled and slurred speech, disjointed and unconnected thoughts) Feelings of shame, guilt and/or poor self esteem Irrational feelings of persecution
Stressor Signs
Problems with roommates, family, or romantic partners
Experiencing a death of a significant other
Experiencing a physical or sexual assault
Experiencing discrimination based on gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disabilities
Experiencing legal difficulties
Any other problem or situation that is experienced as a loss or stress |
The best ways to respond depend upon the urgency of the situation. For students who are having difficulty, but seem able to cope fairly well, you may choose not to intervene, to limit your interaction to the classroom issue, or to deal with it on a more personal level. If you judge a situation to be more urgent or an emergency (e.g. threat to safety/high risk cues), you might decide that more active and timely involvement on your part is appropriate.
If you are referring the student for an administrative reason, please contact the Counseling Center Director Emilia K. Petrillo (410-328-8404) first to discuss the referral. You may also want to consider consulting with your office of Student Affairs or University Counsel (410-706-5353) if disciplinary or judicial infractions are involved.
- If there is concern for the safety of you, the student, or anyone else, first take appropriate action to protect you, any other potential victim, and the potentially dangerous student.
- If danger or an “out-of-control” situation appears imminent, contact Campus Police immediately at 711. This is the campus emergency number and campus police will both respond immediately and dispatch 911 emergency vehicles if necessary.
- If the person has already caused harm to him- or herself (e.g., taken pills), call 711 (on campus) or 911 (off campus) immediately, not the Counseling Center.
If you are worried that a student may be considering suicide, use indirect or direct questioning to ask whether the person is considering killing him- or herself e.g.,
Indirect: “Have you been so unhappy lately that you wished you were dead?”
Direct: “Are you thinking about suicide?” This is a difficult question to ask, but many research studies have shown that asking the question does not increase the risk of suicide. The more specific and lethal the plan, the more recent a previous attempt, and the greater the ability to carry out the plan, the higher the risk of a successful suicide. Do not be afraid to ask these questions. For people who are considering suicide, these questions will not furnish them with new ideas. Most people who are actively suicidal are more than willing to discuss their plan. Conversely, many people consider suicide from time to time in passing. The less specific and lethal the plan (e.g. “I guess I’d take a couple sleeping pills sometime”), the less likely a suicide attempt. If someone is at immediate risk, do not leave the person alone. Remove all possible dangerous items from his or her presence.
Never agree to keep another person’s serious suicidal or homicidal thoughts a secret. Actively help the person to seek help. - If you are concerned about a student's suicide or homicide potential, The Counseling Center is available for consultation. If the student is with you, he/she might be agreeable to speaking to the Counselor directly on the phone.
- You may determine, in consultation with the Counseling Center, that it is in the student's best interest to go to Psych Urgent Care instead of to the Counseling Center. Involving a family member or close friend as early as possible in the process can help ensure a less stressful experience for the student by providing emotional support. They can sometimes even serve as an escort.
- Voluntary: If the student agrees voluntarily, ask a colleague to accompany you and the student if you are uncomfortable performing this duty alone.
- Involuntary: If the student needs hospitalization on an involuntary basis, call the campus police (711), and they will escort the student to Psych Urgent Care.
Should you find yourself on the phone talking to a student who you suspect may be considering suicide, there are some important steps you can take to assess the immediacy of the situation. You can directly ask if he of she is thinking about killing him or herself. Professionals assess suicide potential, in part by asking:
- What the plan for suicide is – exactly how will they do it? Do they have access to a means such as pills or a weapon?
- When and where they intend to carry out the plan?
- If they’ve ever attempted suicide before. If yes, how and when.
- Consult with UMB Counseling Center at 410-328-8404 during working hours
- Ask to speak to anyone else who may be present with that person, or call student’s emergency contact
- Call 711 (on campus) or 911 (off campus)
- Refer them to a local emergency room
- Consult with relevant emergency hotlines in student’s current location
Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., call the UMB Student Counseling Center at 410-328-8404.
After 5 p.m., weekends or holidays, call Student Health at 410-328-8792. Calls are received by Family Medicine attending physicians who will advise and triage. Additionally refer to Urgent Care Contacts.
UMB Student Counseling Center
HS/HSL Library
601 W. Lombard St., Suite 440
Baltimore, MD 21201
410 328 8404; Fax 410 328 5291 [Portions adapted from George Mason University Counseling and Psychological Services] | |
