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Information for Faculty and Staff

Concerned About a Student?

When working closely with students in your role as faculty or staff, you may observe significant changes in a student’s psychological well-being. In some instances, you may even find yourself acting as the first point of contact for a distressed student. The University Counseling & Wellness Center (UCWC) recommends the following procedures to faculty/staff when talking with distressed students and considering a referral to professional help:

  • The modern college student is open to discussing issues related to mental health but often needs assurance that it is safe to do so in your space. Communicate your own openness to discussing mental health concerns. Make sure to also disclose any responsibilities you may have as a mandated reporter, so that the student can decide what they feel comfortable sharing with you.
  • Speak with the student in a private setting.
  • Share your concerns in a caring, straightforward manner. Be specific regarding the events that have raised your concern (e.g., repeated absences from class, acting in a hostile manner towards others, appearing to be under the influence of substances).
  • Elicit the student’s reaction. Listen attentively as they share their perspective on those events. Verbally convey your understanding of what they’ve said. When appropriate, help them normalize their experience (e.g., having difficulty adjusting to college life, struggling with the recent loss of a loved one).
  • Offer to help the student identify potential solutions to their problems, but don’t attempt to solve the problem for them. Be
    prepared to share relevant campus or community resources that could be of assistance. 
  • In many cases, students benefit greatly from having the space to express their emotions, feel heard by another person, and talk through possible solutions. In those instances, it may not even be necessary to refer the student to UCWC. Instead, it may be more appropriate to simply set a time to check back in personally with the student at a later date. You can ask the student what feels right for them.

When Making a Referral to UCWC 

It is important to distinguish between a referral for routine counseling and a mental health emergency requiring immediate intervention. At UCWC, a mental health emergency is defined as having serious thoughts of harming one’s self or others, or having recently experienced a traumatic event.

For Non-Emergency Counseling Referrals:

  • Provide the student with UCWC’s contact information and encourage them to schedule an appointment. It may be helpful to
    remind them that our services are totally free and confidential.
  • Do not pressure or mandate the student to attend counseling. The student must make the choice to seek professional help for themselves, and it is not your responsibility whether they seek it or not. Hopefully, your expression of concern will be all the motivation they need!
  • Students may be interested in counseling but also express some reluctance to make an appointment. In those instances, it can be helpful to offer to support them by making the call together or by accompanying them to our office in person. UCWC does not allow third parties to schedule appointments on behalf of students, but you can get the process started and hand it off to them. Again, it is their choice to accept your assistance or not.
  • In the event that you refer a student to UCWC, you will not receive any notification from our office as to whether the student followed through with attending an appointment or not. It is always best to follow up with the student personally to monitor how they’re doing.

For Mental Health Emergencies:

  • If you believe a student is an immediate threat to harm themselves or others, contact the USA Police Department at
    (251)460-6312 or call 911.
  • If there is not an immediate threat of harm but the student has expressed thoughts of harming themselves or others or has
    recently experienced a traumatic event, attempt to help them connect to UCWC via phone call at (251) 460-7051 or by walking them to our office at 300 Student Center Circle during our business hours (Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM). Students experiencing mental health emergencies will be seen for crisis intervention upon arrival at UCWC.
  • Outside of our regular business hours, students can call UCWC at (251) 460-7051 and press Option 3 to speak to a mental health clinician. They can also contact the USA Police Department for assistance.
  • If you have concerns that a student may pose a threat to themselves or others, you may also consider referring the student’s name to the University’s Behavioral Assessment Team, especially in situations where the student has refused help. This is a team composed of faculty and staff representatives who meet as needed to discuss at-risk students and develop strategies to address these situations in a timely fashion.

Consultation with UCWC

If you have additional questions on how to address mental health concerns with students, UCWC is available to consult with faculty and staff in person and via phone. You can call us at (251) 460-7051 to schedule a consultation appointment. Please note that faculty and staff are permitted by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to disclose information about students to counselors, since they have a legitimate interest in the personal welfare of students enrolled in the University.