{"id":8497,"date":"2014-07-17T19:01:00","date_gmt":"2014-07-17T19:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/cchp\/?page_id=8497"},"modified":"2026-01-13T14:39:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T14:39:28","slug":"helping-emotionally-distressed-students","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/cwc\/facultystaff-referral-guide\/helping-emotionally-distressed-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Helping Emotionally Distressed Students"},"content":{"rendered":"

See “Student Support Guide”<\/a> button for resources for students by topic of concern (academic support, personal concerns, health care, and basic living needs).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Supporting Students in Crisis<\/a> — Brochure created by the Dean of Students\u00a0 \u00a0 Please see this document for steps to take when you are concerned about a student on the Augsburg campus.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Concerned about a student?<\/h2>\n

The Center for Wellness & Counseling would be happy to consult with you if you have concerns about a student.\u00a0 Call or email CWC’s Director, Ellie Olson at 612-330-1169, eolson@augsburg.edu. \u00a0After-hours, contact the Department of Public Safety (612-330-1717) if you have urgent safety concerns about a student.<\/p>\n

You or the student of concern may also consult with a licensed mental health clinician through CWC’s Urgent Phone Counseling line 844-287-6963 24\/7\/365 (offered by CWC in partnership with BetterMynd).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Talking with a student about your concerns<\/h3>\n

\u2022Talk in private.<\/p>\n

\u2022Be calm and matter of fact (this may help the student to manage their emotions).<\/p>\n

\u2022Focus on specific behaviors, not labels or diagnoses.<\/p>\n

\u2022Listen carefully and reflect back to the student what you are hearing.<\/p>\n

\u2022Convey your support and understanding of the pressure the student is experiencing.<\/p>\n

\u2022Help the student to identify options for addressing the problem.<\/p>\n

\u2022Set limits — don’t offer help beyond your comfort zone.<\/p>\n

\u2022Consult with CWC if you are concerned about how to best help the student.<\/p>\n

Referring a student to counseling<\/h3>\n

\u2022Ask the student what ideas they have for support — they may already be thinking about getting counseling.<\/p>\n

\u2022Let the student know that you think it would be helpful for them to talk to someone about their concerns. \u00a0If you think CWC would be a good resource, tell them that.<\/p>\n

\u2022Reassure the student that CWC is used by many students who face normal concerns of dealing with college stress.<\/p>\n

\u2022Let them know that their discussions with a counselor at CWC are completely confidential, and that the counselor will not share any information without their (written) permission. \u00a0(Know that there are exceptions to confidentiality in the case of imminent harm to self or others, but we will educate the student on this when they come to see us).<\/p>\n

\u2022Encourage the student to call CWC at 612-330-1707 (or email at cwc@augsburg.edu) to set up an appointment, or walk over with them to show them where we are located and help them schedule. \u00a0Do not share any personal information with the front desk person, just introduce the student and tell the scheduler that the student would like an appointment. \u00a0Let the student take it from there.<\/p>\n

\u2022Let them know that it is their choice whether or not to go to counseling.<\/p>\n

\u2022Follow up at a later date to check in on how they are doing, and whether they followed up on your referral to CWC.<\/p>\n

What if the student is making references to suicide?<\/h3>\n

\u2022Ask a direct question, “Have you been thinking about suicide?” \u00a0It is a myth that asking people will encourage them to consider suicide as an option. \u00a0Suicidal thoughts are quite common when someone is depressed.<\/p>\n

\u2022If it appears that the student has an actual suicide plan or does not feel safe, get help immediately by contacting CWC (612-330-1707), as well as the Dean of Students, Mike Grewe (612-330-1499).\u00a0 CWC has after-hours phone counseling available, by calling 844-287-6963 24\/7\/365 (this will connect you to BetterMynd, a nationwide service for universities that Augsburg has contracted with, staffed with trained mental health therapists who can talk to a student and assess for safety).<\/p>\n

\u2022If you feel like the student or another person is in immediate danger, or if the student’s behaviors are out of control, do not hesitate to contact the Department of Public Safety (612-330-1717).<\/p>\n

\u2022Trust your instincts. \u00a0If you feel this is serious, consult and get help.<\/p>\n

Online Resources<\/h3>\n

Creating a Culture of Caring:\u00a0 Faculty Resource Guide<\/a>.\u00a0 Practical Approaches for University Faculty to Support Student Wellbeing and Mental Health.\u00a0 From Active Minds.<\/p>\n

Assisting the Emotionally Distressed Student<\/a>\u00a0discusses guidelines for intervention with students in many mental health and emotionally distressed situations.<\/p>\n

What to Say After a Student Dies\u00a0<\/a> \u00a0 Catherine Shea Sanger, The Chronicle of Higher Education<\/p>\n

Teaching in Times of Crisis<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Vanderbilt University<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

See “Student Support Guide” button for resources for students by topic of concern (academic support, personal concerns, health care, and basic living needs).   Supporting Students in Crisis — Brochure created by the Dean of Students\u00a0 \u00a0 Please see this document for steps to take when you are concerned about a student on the Augsburg …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":0,"parent":8272,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-8497","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/cwc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/cwc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/cwc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/cwc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/cwc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8497"}],"version-history":[{"count":53,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/cwc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8497\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12413,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/cwc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8497\/revisions\/12413"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/cwc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/cwc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}