Working with the Troubled or Disruptive Student

1. Working with the Troubled or Disruptive Student Getting Help: A Resource for Faculty and Staff SUU Counseling and Psychological Services

2. Faculty and Staff as Resources Faculty and Staff are: • Knowledgeable of students and their particular developmental stage • Aware of the stressors that students encounter • Represent the institutional ethic of care and a personalized learning environment • Knowledgeable of the campus organization and resources • Gatekeepers for intervention and referral to helping resources

3. The Learning Environment: Establishing Expectations Explain the importance of a classroom/learning culture • Define expectations for the classroom in the course syllabus; Discuss and clarify • Be consistent • Introduce expectations early and model the desired behaviors • Language • Punctuality • Respect • Consult about the scope and enforcement of expectations

4. Self-Care for Faculty/Staff • Be aware of your limitations and when you may benefit from assistance • Make use of campus and community resources • Consult with others, e.g., faculty, staff, administrators, counselors, public safety • Review the experience and make a follow up plan with supervisor/consultant • Document interactions

5. Recognizing and Responding to Troubled and Disruptive Students

6. The Challenge of Change • Over time persons experience periods of increased stress when challenges related to decisions, goals and relationships arise. Often these experiences are accompanied by thoughts and emotions which produce sadness, anxiety, frustration, anger and confusion • While stressful, with support and help these periods of adjustment are often resolved with renewed perspectives on life, study and work

7. The Challenge of Change cont. • A persistence of sadness, anger, confusion and isolating behaviors may indicate a deepening concern and need for consultation • The goal of a supportive intervention is to provide the assistance necessary to help the student re-establish equilibrium

8. Tips for Recognizing the Troubled Student • Mildly troubled students Behaviors do not necessarily disrupt others but indicate that something is troubling the student. There may be: • A decrease in achievement and diminished motivation • Increased absences • Difficulties with concentration and focus • Marked changes in interaction patterns with instructor and peers, e.g., avoidance, dependency

9. Mildly Troubled Students cont: • Altered mood states, sadness, anxiety, irritability, lethargy • Fatigue and sleeping in class • Pre occupation • Missed deadlines or incomplete work • Diminished self-care including poor hygiene • A reticence to accept and act on an offer of help

10. Tips cont. • Moderately troubled students may: • Exhibit more significant changes in mood and behavior but are resistant to accept help • Display rapid changes in mood with an accompanying sense of helplessness • Make repeated requests for special consideration or adjustment to academic requirements • Express emotions more intensely, particularly when related to requests for relaxation of academic responsibilities • May behave in ways that are mildly disruptive to the classroom culture, e.g., angry outbursts, walking out, failing to collaborate, attacking the opinions of others

11. Helping the Mildly or Moderately Trouble Student • Consult with others on how best to constructively address your concerns and offer help • Work with the student on an individual level • Address any specific behaviors that represent infractions of the classroom learning culture –provide corrective and formative feedback • Be clear about expectations and consequences • Refer the student to campus resources (e.g., Counseling and Psychological Services, Dean of Students, Student Health Services, Academic Advisement) • Document your intervention and follow up to encourage the student to utilize resources

12. Recognizing the Severely Troubled and Disruptive Student The Severely Troubled/Disruptive Student may: • Be less likely to accept help and may view efforts to assist as intrusive and unwanted • Exhibit more intense expression of emotions with little regard for classroom decorum or deference to the role of instructor • Reflect poor self-care and demonstrate a lack of empathy for others • Regularly fail to attend class, be tardy and communicate a heightened sense of entitlement • Be verbally antagonistic to peers/instructor

13. The Severely Troubled and Disruptive Student cont. • Be unwilling to collaborate with team members and resist assuming responsibility • Have difficulty communicating, slurred speech or confused content • Exhibit a confused sense of reality or be highly suspicious of others • Engage in stalking behaviors or inappropriate forms of contact such as veiled or threatening e-mails • Be hyper-vigilant and reactive to other’s opinions • Make veiled or overt references to suicidal or homicidal thoughts (May be in oral and written formats)

14. Tips for Responding to the Severely Troubled and Disruptive Student • Attend to your personal need for safety • Have someone meet the student with you • Meet in an area where resources are available to you • Use consultation resources • Supervisor/Dept. Chairperson • Counseling and Psychological Services • Office of the Vice President • If you think the student may become physically agitated, contact campus police at (586-1911) and have them present

15. Tips for Responding to the Severely Troubled and Disruptive Student If the student is agitatedand/or a threat to harm themselves or others • Maintain a safe distance • Attempt to maintain a calm demeanor • Avoid escalating your voice level and using provocative language • Remove yourself by indicating you will find someone else they can talk to … Get help and contact the campus police for assistance (586-1911)

16. Tips for Responding to the Severely Troubled and Disruptive Student If the student is able to discuss the problem and does not pose an imminent threat: • Accept what the student says and convey an attitude of sincerity • Avoid assuring the student confidentiality • Focus on an aspect of the problem that can be managed • Clarify what needs to be changed? • Explore what has worked successfully in the past • Make constructive suggestions but avoid making promises • Identify options and resources

17. Tips for Responding to the Severely Troubled and Disruptive Student • Encourage the student to use help and offer ways to access the resources • Respect and try to understand the student’s perspectives • Be persistent in efforts to encourage the student to use resources • If concerned, ask the student if s/he is considering not wanting to live – Often the person is looking for someone to notice their suffering. If yes, get help • Discuss your experience with your supervisor; Plan for next steps

18. Helping the Suicidal Person If you think the student may be suicidal: • Listen to the person; Allow time • Ask the question • Are you thinking about killing yourself • Are you thinking about not wanting to live • Promote the idea of getting help • Refer to campus and community resources • CAPS (865-8625) • After Hours: Local Emergency Room 868-5000 • If an emergency, call Public Safety at 586-1911 • Consult with your supervisor, document your interactions and efforts to help and plan for follow up

19. Referring for Help • The best referral involves taking the person directly to someone who can help. • The next best referral is getting a commitment from them to accept help, then making the arrangements to get that help. • The third best referral is to give referral information and try to get a good faith agreement that student will seek assistance. Any willingness to accept help at some time, even if in the future, can be a positive outcome. • Follow Up

20. How to Get Help A Decision Making Tree and Resource Guide for Working with the Troubled and Disruptive Student

21. How to Get HelpConsultation/Intervention Decision Tree The Troubled Student The Disruptive Student A student who is troubled, confused, very sad, highly A student whose conduct is disruptive or dangerous, anxious, irritable, lacks in motivation and or concentration, verbally or physically threatening, active threats of suicide demonstrating bizarre behavior or thinking about suicide. and resisting help. Consultation ResourcesConsultation/Intervention Resources Questions about emotional/behavioral issues and getting helpRule out the possibility of harm to self or others Call: Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) 865-8225 If physical safety of student or others is concern Student is on campus: Call Public Safety 586-1911 After Office Hours: Student is off campus: Call 911 Valley View Emergency Room 868-5000 And/OrThen Administrative/Judicial procedural concernsAdministrative/Judicial procedural concerns Call: Dean of Students Office 586-7710 Call: Dean of Students Office 586-7710 And/Or And/Or Academic StatusCampus emergency counseling Call: Counseling Center 865-8621 Department Chair or Program Coordinator For a student off campus at the time: Call: Valley View Emergency Room 868-5000

22. Campus and Community Resources University Resources • Dean of Students Office (Student Assessment and Intervention Team) 586-7710 • Counseling and Psychological Services 865-8621 • Public Safety 586-1911 • Residence Life 586-7966 • Employee Assistance Program 1-866-750-1327

23. Sample Course Syllabus Statements • Sample statement: • Attendance and Classroom Culture: Attendance during class periods is necessary for an optimal learning experience. It is expected each person will make an effort to come to class prepared to participate. • Interaction with others: Respect for diverse opinions, responsible communication with others and constructive behavior are expected.

24. Sample Course Syllabus Statements • Punctuality and participation: Being on time to class and actively participating in discussion enhances the learning environment for everyone. Classroom participation will be considered a component of graded evaluations. • Phones and pagers: Pagers and cell phones are to be quieted during class time. Taking calls and text messaging are to be done outside the classroom.