As a member of the University community, you have ongoing and direct contact with students. This places you in a position to identify students who are struggling with personal and/or academic concerns. How involved you want to be in the student's problems will likely depend on how you see your role in the University, your training, your experience, and your personality. These guidelines, your knowledge of the services available, and your awareness of your personal attributes can help you become more comfortable with determining when and how you wish to intervene with students.
All students will experience some level of stress. Some will face life events that are especially challenging such as:
Others will face challenges related to:
How students respond to these challenges and how these challenges impact their academic functioning will vary greatly based on their coping abilities and personal circumstances.
If you encounter a student experiencing emotional distress, please refer them to the CARE Team to request support.
**If you believe that a student is at imminent risk of harm to self or others, please contact Public Safety immediately at 206-296-5911**
Submit a CARE Team Referral
The following are potential strategies to use when encouraging a student to seek services at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)
In some cases, you may find that the student has already sought counseling services at CAPS, or elsewhere, and was dissatisfied with the experience. There are many reasons why therapy may not be successful in a given situation. Please encourage the student to consider giving therapy another try, perhaps with a different therapist at CAPS, or to seek off-campus referrals through our office.
While it is important to care about the emotional well-being of students, we cannot make their decisions for them, and therapy is always a personal choice. Occasionally even your best efforts to encourage a student to seek therapy will be unsuccessful. If the student resists referral and you remain uncomfortable with the situation, contact CAPS at (206) 296-6090 to discuss your concern.
Offer to accompany the student to Counseling & Psychological Services (Pavilion 120) or the Student Health Center (Bellarmine 107). Remember that TimelyCare offers mental health support through the "Talk Now" feature 24/7.
If you feel that you would benefit from discussing the situation with one of our clinicians, please contact our office to get consultation. We can assist you with identifying helpful resources on campus and how refer the student to CAPS. Contact our office at 206-296-6090 to request consultation during business hours.
On evenings and weekends, contact Campus Public Safety at 206-296-5990 for assistance with any situations of concern.