on
by
Executive Director of Health &
Counseling Services
University of Texas – San Antonio

Dealing with Difficult People
• Keep your focus on someone’s behaviors and not their mental status
• Know you Student Code of Conduct – this will be your best friend when it comes to behavioral problems
• Use your Student Judicial Affairs office to deal with difficult students
• Human Resources will help with difficult staff or faculty.
• Law Enforcement will help with difficult people!

Dealing with Difficult People
• What is mental illness:
– A clinically diagnosable disorder that significantly interferes with an individual’s
cognitive, emotional &/or social abilities.
– The diagnosis of mental illness is generally made according to the classification systems of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-IVR) or the International Classification of Diseases,
Tenth Edition (ICD-10)

Dealing with Difficult People
• Why someone becomes upset:
– Not feeling heard
– Not getting what they want (or need)
– Not feeling important (“just a number”)
– Frustrated
– Confused
– All of the ABOVE!

Dealing with Difficult People
• First thing to do:
– Listen (actively and intently)
– Remain calm (ignore harsh words)
– Alert others to the issues (elicit support)
– Never move to put yourself in a position of being “alone” with the person
– Explain what you can do, and what you can’t!
– Bring in a supervisor (there is strength in numbers)

Dealing with Difficult People
• Things are getting “out of hand”
– Call your campus Security Officer(s)
– If available, contact your Counseling Services for support
– Call San Antonio Police Department for assistance
– Ask permission to contact a family member
– Continue to remain calm and “talk with” the student/person

Dealing with Difficult People
• UTSA SIRT
– We have a team of mental health professionals who review all reported incidents where there is a concern for someone’s safety or the safety of others
– Mandated Assessment
– Based on University of Illinois Suicide
Prevention Program
– Interview and Testing is used to assess level of risk, along with educating about the student code of conduct.

Dealing with Difficult People
• Behavior Intervention Team
– One UTSA Police Sgt., one UTSA Counselor
(me), one Student Judicial Affairs Officer, and one legal counsel from Legal Affairs. This is the “Core” BIT.
– Expanded BIT deals with non-student related issues
– Any threat to the campus community

Dealing with Difficult People
• Interviews
• Data – information, specifics
• Assessment
– Mosaic
– Personality Assessment Inventory
• Risk for self-harm
• Risk for violence
– Only verbally
– Potentially physically

Dealing with Difficult People
• Use Community Resources
• Respect the rights of others
• Seek Legal Counsel
– Don’t violate the American’s with Disabilities
Act
– Ensure that you can legally do what you are intending to do (mandate assessment, etc.)

Dealing with Difficult People

Dealing with Difficult People
• Thank you for your attention and questions!
• Please feel free to call if you have any questions:
– (210) 458-4140 (Counseling Services)
– Wellness Center 1.810
– University of Texas – San Antonio
– (210) 458-4142 (Student Health Services)
Again, THANK YOU