How Do I Refer A Student to Counseling?
After initiating a conversation with a student about whom you are concerned, listen to the student in a warm, accepting, non-judgmental way and express your concern for her or him (e.g., "It sounds like you've been under a lot of stress. Our Counseling Center is designed to carefully listen to you and make sure you get the help you need."). Then, it may be time to make a referral for professional help. If you believe that it might be helpful for the student to be evaluated or to receive therapy by a mental health professional, suggest that she or he go to the Counseling Center.
Rather than saying, "I think you need psychological help," you can frame the referral in terms of stress which for most students will feel more acceptable. For example, you could say "From what we've talked about, it sure sounds like you have been under a lot of stress. We do have people here on the campus who have been specifically trained to help students deal with stress. I'd be willing to help you get an appointment. Would that be O.K.?" If the student says "Yes," invite the student to use your phone to call the Counseling Center at 824-6457, to set up an "urgent care appointment" or an initial appointment. Depending on the seriousness of the situation, you may feel comfortable that the student will follow through on his/her own with the appointment. If the situation is urgent or you are uncertain whether the student will keep the appointment, you may want to walk the student over to the Counseling Center.
Assure the student that the Counseling Center services are free and confidential. Try to instill hope that the problems can be resolved.
Sometimes a student will say "No" to the referral or will say "I need to think about it." In these instances, please write down the Counseling Center’s phone number and say, "I hope you'll give this a try, at least once." Framing the appointment as a "one-time consultation" can sometimes reduce the stigma that is still associated with seeking help. We also always need to remember that counseling is a personal choice, except when the student is a danger to himself or to the lives of others. Not all students whom you approach out of concern for them will be receptive. However, for many students, your willingness to extend yourself in this way will be life-changing or even life-saving for them.
You may want to arrange a follow-up meeting with the student to solidify his or her resolve to seek help and to demonstrate your commitment to assist in the process. If an appointment was made, you may want to check with the student if the referral appointment was kept. However, keep in mind that students have the right to privacy regarding their mental health and treatment. The student may or may not want to share this information with you.
- In some cases the student’s behavior not only presents concern about her or his welfare, but the behavior may also be disruptive to other students and be a violation of the student code of conduct. In these situations faculty and staff must be careful to not substitute addressing the welfare concern while forgiving the conduct violation concern. Whether the student takes part in treatment is up to the student. He or she can not be forced in to treatment, so if the student elects to forgo treatment, you may miss an opportunity to monitor and provide administrative solutions to the conduct problem. Even if the student takes steps to remedy his or her situation with treatment, the administrative monitoring will provide documentation for the fact that the problem was indeed addressed. For a useful discussion of this topic see Coping with the Disruptive College Student: A Practical Model, Amada, Gerald, (1994, College Adminstration Publications, Inc.)
The Counseling Center has a brochure entitled “Faculty and Staff Role in Helping Emotionally Distressed Students.” You can request copies by phone or in person or download a copy here.
