Counseling Center

Faculty/Staff Resources

Suicide Incident Report Form
Confidentiality | Helping Students Utilize Our Services | How to Make a Referral
Additional Ways to Help Students | Resources for Faculty/Staff

The following section contains informational resources related to a variety of mental health issues. Students, staff, faculty, and parents with further questions should contact the Counseling Center [link to CC home page] directly.

Overview

Our Role

The primary mission of the Counseling Center at SIUC is to provide mental health-related services to facilitate students' adjustment to college and their personal and psychological growth in becoming high functioning and socially responsible adults. Counseling services promote student learning about their emotional and psychological development and increase academic success by positively impacting academic decision-making and retention. Our staff work to help students resolve problems that interfere with personal, social, and academic functioning while also emphasizing prevention, development, adjustment, and wellness. We consider you, as a faculty or staff member, one of our most important allies for helping us accomplish our mission.

The Counseling Center provides short-term counseling services for a minimal fee of $6.00 to all registered students of the university. In addition, we provide crisis intervention, consultation and program development, outreach programming, and referral services to students as well as faculty and staff of the campus community. We collaborate with academic departments and other campus agencies to promote student welfare, actively promote an environment of personal safety and respect across campus, and work to enhance all students' appreciation of diversity and individual differences. More detailed information about all the services we offer can be found on the Counseling Center home page

Confidentiality

In order to insure a safe environment for students to explore their personal concerns all counseling services are confidential. This means that our staff will not reveal the identity of students who seek our services, will not confirm or deny a student's participation in counseling, and will not provide any details about what has been discussed in counseling without the student's written consent. We do not give information to faculty, staff, or to other offices or departments within the university without a student's written consent. Similarly, information about participation in counseling will not appear on a student's academic records.

Students may request to have information shared with the person(s) of their choice and can sign a release granting us permission to share confidential counseling information

However, there are a few exceptions to the rule of confidentiality that do not require written consent for releasing counseling information. If we believe that a student is seriously dangerous to self or others, we are legally required to try to keep her/him safe and to warn anyone s/he might try to harm. The other circumstance in which we are required to break confidentiality is if we become aware of ongoing child abuse or neglect and elderly abuse.

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If YOU have very worrisome information that we may not have, such as someone revealing to you that she or he may be contemplating suicide, please call us and give us that information. In that unusual circumstance the priority is to protect the student, and your involvement is essential.

In summary, if you are faculty or staff and have concerns about a student, call us! We will talk openly with you about the concerns you describe. If there is a confidentiality dilemma, we will work with you to determine what is best for the student.

Helping Students Utilize Our Services

Identifying Potential Student Problems

Faculty and staff often have the most direct contact with students and thus may be the first to notice any changes. In order to facilitate early identification of difficulties, listed below are some possible warning signs which may suggest that a student is in need of assistance.

a change in appearance (e.g., poor hygiene, weight gain/loss)
a drop in GPA or academic performance from the previous semester, especially for students who generally perform above average
increased irritability or agitation
consistently inappropriate, illogical, or unrelated questions
distracted or preoccupied thought processes
withdrawal from social interactions with peers, family, and significant others, frequent class absences, and expressions of loneliness
fearful responses, such as avoidance or apprehension about being alone
occurrence of a recent loss or other crisis (e.g., relationship breakup, death of a friend or family member, academic failure, physical illness, rape/sexual assault)
expressions of hopelessness (statements such as "there's no use trying" or "what's the point?")
indirect statements or written essays about death or suicide ("I want to disappear," "there's no way out" or "I can't go on") as well as more direct suicidal statements ("I've had thoughts about hurting myself")

The appearance of any of the above warning signs may indicate that a student is in distress. If any of these signs are observed, especially on a repeated basis within a short period of time (2 to 3 weeks), it is important to talk with the student and refer him/her to the Counseling Center for assistance.

Consultation with Counseling Center Staff

Faculty and staff may consult with a member of our professional staff if they believe a student is in distress and they are uncertain about how to help. If you have concerns about a student's emotional functioning or behavior, including alcohol use, depression or anxiety, aggression, unusual behavior, or overall psychological well-being, we encourage you to speak with a professional staff member from the Counseling Center. To consult with a Counseling Center psychologist, call our office at 618-453-5371 and ask to speak with the counselor-on-duty. The counselor-on-duty will ask for specific information about the situation in order to help you determine how to proceed.

For more information about how to get help in cases of emergency, please go to our Crisis Services page.

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How to Make a Referral

Guidelines for Helpful Interactions

Once you recognize that a student is experiencing a pattern of the above symptoms, you must decide when and how to address this with him/her. If preparing to speak with the student, the following are some guidelines for your interaction:

Talk to her/him in private.
Explain what has aroused your concerns.
Express your concern for her/him in a direct, straightforward manner.
Listen carefully.
Show understanding and empathy for what they are going through.
Avoid criticizing or sounding judgmental.
Consider the Counseling Center as a resource and discuss a possible referral with the student. Inform them that our services are confidential.
Remember that the student has the right to accept, think over, or refuse your recommendations.
If your student resists help and you are still concerned, it may be helpful for you to consult with a Counseling Center professional staff member.
In a crisis, the most important things are to remain calm and to make sure your student is safe.

Steps for Making an Appointment or Referral

If your student is not in crisis, but you believe is in need of counseling services, then you would encourage him/her to contact the Counseling Center for an appointment. Here are the steps involved in getting your student in to see a Counseling Center staff member:

Step 1	Encourage the student to contact the Counseling Center (preferably from your office) to schedule an intake appointment. Students may schedule appointments by calling the Counseling Center number (453-5371) or in person by going to the Student Health Center, room 253. Students will need to fill out some paperwork and then will be given an appointment to meet with a counselor.
Step 2	After completing the intake appointment, the counselor and the student will decide what services are best suited to meet their needs.
Step 3	Once it is decided what service(s) is most appropriate for the student, the service is provided to assist the student in addressing the problems and concerns identified in the intake appointment.

In the case of a mental health emergency during business hours, call 618-453-5371 and let the receptionist know that you need to speak with the Counselor-on-Duty about a crisis situation. If you are concerned about a student but are uncertain about the appropriateness of a referral, feel free to call the Counseling Center and speak with a member of our professional staff.

What to do if a Student is Reluctant to Seek Help

While it is important to care about the emotional well being of students, we cannot make their decisions for them, and counseling is always a personal choice. Nevertheless, you can assist a student who is ambivalent about seeking professional help in a number of ways.

Normalize the process of pursuing counseling.
Reassure the student that counseling services are appropriate for anyone needing assistance in coping with and resolving emotional and/or interpersonal concerns.
Let the student know that no problem is too big or too small for counseling.
Inform the student that he or she can make an appointment to speak to a counselor once without making a commitment to ongoing counseling.
Remind the student that any information shared during counseling sessions is kept strictly confidential and will not be disclosed to anyone without her/his written permission.
Acknowledge, validate, and discuss the student's real fears and concerns about seeking help. Some students may feel that counseling is an admission of weakness or failure; we tell students that it takes considerable courage and integrity to face oneself, acknowledge one's troubles or difficulties, and admit the desire or need for assistance.
Suggest that the student visit our web site as a way to become familiar with the services we offer.
Consult with us! Review the guidelines for helpful interactions provided above.

Contacting the Counseling Center

The Counseling Center is located in the Student Health Center adjacent to the Rec Center. The Center's reception area is Room 253. The Center's hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fridays, when classes are in session. The Center is open 8:00 to 4:30 Monday through Friday during semester breaks and the summer session.

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Additional Ways for Faculty and Staff to Help Students

Here are some additional ways that faculty and staff can help enhance the psychological well-being of our students:

Become familiar with the Counseling Center--including services, staff, resources, and programs--so that you can share information with students.
Visit the Counseling Center web site for more detailed information about what we have to offer.
Learn about the benefits of counseling and dispute the stigma associated with seeking mental health services.
Encourage students to utilize resources such as Ulifeline, a web site specifically designed for preventing suicide in college students.
Think of and use the Counseling Center as an available resource for helping your student succeed.
Provide us with feedback by sharing anything you learn about student needs, concerns, or needed programs. Please feel free to call our office at 618-453-5371 or to send an e-mail to our Chief Psychologist, Dr. Jean Cunningham.

Resources for Faculty and Staff

Counseling Center brochure

Click here to access a facsimile of the Counseling Center brochure. Let us know if you would like copies to distribute to students.

Identifying Distressed Students brochure

Click here to access a facsimile of our brochure directed at helping faculty and staff identify distressed student. Let us know if you would like copies.

What you can do

Click here to access a brief document which provides tips for faculty and staff on intervening with students.

Classroom Resources

The Counseling Center will provide in-class workshops and presentations on a variety of mental health related issues. Our workshops and presentations are designed as preventive mental health programs that are educational, supportive, and skills oriented in their emphasis and approach. We request a two week advance notice to schedule a workshop or presentation for your class. For a listing of current workshop and presentation topic offerings, please visit our Workshops page.

If you have questions regarding a presentation for your class or if you would like to discuss having a workshop or presentation custom designed for your classroom needs, please contact the Counseling Center and ask to speak with the Outreach Coordinator.

Recommended Readings

The College of the Overwhelmed: The Campus Mental Health Crisis and What to Do About It
by Richard D. Kadison, Theresa Foy DiGeronimo
Kadison, chief of mental health services at Harvard, and DiGeronimo (How to Talk to Your Kids About Really Important Things) are deeply concerned about the marked increase in serious mental health problems on campus. Their book provides an excellent overview of the various psychological and emotional stressors commonly faced by college students. It is filled with insights and stories about the current mental health crisis on our nation's campuses and offers a hands-on guide for helping students overcome stress and succeed in a college environment. The authors discuss the warning signs and symptoms of common problems, including depression, sleep disorders, substance abuse, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, impulsive behaviors, and suicide. The book is intended to familiarize readers with these issues as well as to offer strategies for how to help students. There is also a section specifically designed for students as well. University faculty and staff, college administrators, parents, and students themselves will find helpful information here.

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