WHEN LIFE HAPPENS: SUPPORTING
YOUR STUDENTS IN CRISIS
S T U D E N T
K AT H E R I N E S N Y D E R
AF F AI R S S Y M P O S I U M , F AL L
U N I V E R S I T Y O F AR I Z O N A
2 0 1 2
AGENDA
Students of concern/Students in crisis
Case management as a profession
Student Assistance at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona data
How we work with students
How you can support students in crisis and work with
student assistance
• Questions?
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STUDENTS IN CRISIS
• Crisis is self-defined, any examples?
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Poor grade on an exam
Difficult relationship with roommate
Break-up of romantic relationship
Illness
Family emergency
Mental health issues**
Substance use/abuse
Self-harming behavior
Suicidal thoughts/ideations
CASE MANAGEMENT
“Case management is essential to pre-intervention,
intervention-based and post-intervention
management of students of concern.”
-National Behavioral Intervention Team Association (NaBITA)
“NaBITA has recognized that campus case
management and behavioral intervention are
tandem tasks that support each other and are
complementary to the success of each.
-National Behavioral Intervention Team Association (NaBITA)
CASE MANAGEMENT
• Profession grown from concern over increasing
mental health issues on-campus
Alcohol problems (up 45 %)
Illicit Drug Use (up 49%)
Learning Disabilities (up 71%)
Self-injury incidents (up 51%)
Eating disorders (up 38%)
17% of counseling center clients take psychiatric medications,
2000. Up from 9% in 1994.
• 89 % of centers had to hospitalize a student for psychological
reasons
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Kitzrow, M. A. (2009). The mental health needs of today’s college students: Challenges and
recommendations. NASPA Journal, 2009, 46.
• Growth at UA
• Need to centralize resources and processes for all
students in crisis
CASE MANAGEMENT
• Growing profession
• Professional organization
• Higher Education Case Management Association (HECMA)
• National conference/roundtable
• Pre-conference workshop at NASPA 2013
• Standards and Advancement Committee
• Developing CAS Standards
• Developing training track for case managers
STUDENT ASSISTANCE
The goal of the Coordinators of Student Assistance is
to empower students to take a proactive role in
exploring their own resolutions in order to be
successful both inside and outside the classroom
Chrissy Lieberman, Associate Dean
Katherine Snyder, Coordinator
Emily Gaspar, Coordinator
Hilary Love, Graduate Assistant
STUDENT ASSISTANCE
• Provides one-on-one consultations with students seeking
assistance regarding challenges that may impede their ability to
remain successful
• Offers assistance with academic processes such as Explanation of
Absence, Complete Withdrawal, Medical Withdrawal, and
Retroactive Medical Withdrawal
• Educates campus community regarding policies, procedures,
and support services available to students
• Connects students to appropriate campus and community
resources
• Provides students with institutional knowledge concerning policies
and procedures in order to strive to create a common baseline
understanding of the University among all students
• Collaborates with campus colleagues to assist students in
navigating campus bureaucracy
• Remains unbiased when working with students, staff, and faculty
• Assists students in significant code cases, specifically related to
complainants and respondents in Title IX as these cases can be
particularly stressful.
STUDENT ASSISTANCE
Roles beyond our reach:
• Providing mental health counseling
• Offering academic advising
• Sharing personal student information with parents,
unless health and safety concerns are present
• Representing students in legal situations or code of
conduct violations, or serving as a hearing officer
• Completing University policies and procedures on
behalf of a student
HOW WE SUPPORT STUDENTS
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Information sharing
Consulting colleagues
Connecting students with the appropriate people
Policies/procedures/resources
Cut the red tape
POLICIES
• Absence policies
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Excused absence
Dean’s excuse
Explanation of absence
Leave of absence
Specific email to professors
• Dates and deadlines
• Financial aid
• Withdrawals
PROCESSES
• Withdrawal
• Change of Schedule Form
• Complete withdrawal
• Medical withdrawal
• General Petition
• Speaking with instructors
• How to make a complaint
RESOURCES
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Counseling and Psych Services
Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid
Academic Advising
Think Tank
Office Hours
THE NUMBERS
AUGUST 1, 2011-AUGUST 1, 2012= 928
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Adjustment and Transition-40
Academics -52
Bias-6
Family Emergency-86
Financial Aid Concern-3
Financial Needs-31
Harassment-26
Hospitalization-61
Mental Health-98
Mental Health Hospitalization-8
Other -48
Physical Assault-35
Physical Health-72
Relationship Violence-9
Sexual Misconduct-10
Stalking-1
• Student Conduct / Disciplinary
Issues-14
• Student Death-21
• Suicidal Ideations/Gestures-40
• Threatening Behavior-13
• Wellness Check-53
• Drug Overdose-2
• Extreme Intoxication-55
• Acts of Violence or Threats-23
• High Profile Events that result in
Media Attention-9
• Housing-6
• Missing Student-9
• Sexual Assault -18
CURRENTLY
Adjustment & Transition-33
Academics-33
Bias-3
Conflict Coaching-4
Family Emergency-22
Financial Aid Concern-14
Harassment-6
Hazing-1
Hospitalization-20
Mental Health-22
Mental Health
Hospitalization-5
• Other-8
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Physical Assault-2
Physical Health-6
Sexual Misconduct-3
Student
Conduct/Disciplinary
Issues-2
Student Death-3
Substance Use/Abuse-24
Suicidal
Ideations/Gestures-7
Threatening Behavior-7
University Complaint-3
Wellness Check-18
AUGUST 1, 2012- OCTOBER 10, 2012= 247
Adjustment & Transition
Academics
Bias
Conflict Coaching
Family Emergency
Financial Aid Concern
Harassment
Hazing
Hospitalization
Mental Health
Mental Health Hospitalization
Other
Physical Assault
Physical Health
Sexual Misconduct
Student Conduct/Disciplinary Issues
Student Death
Substance Use/Abuse
Suicidal Ideations/Gestures
Threatening Behavior
University Complaint
Wellness Check
REFERRAL NUMBERS
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CAPS-1
UAPD-29
Greek Life-30
Faculty / Staff-36
Residence Life-33
Parents / Guardian-41
Student-7
Athletics-1
Self Report-68
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT STUDENTS
• Listen
• Knowing policies relevant for your role and the
students with whom you work
• Don’t be afraid to ask difficult questions
• It’s okay to offer words of encouragement and
support
• Provide resources
• Know you do not need to have all of the answers
• Ask questions and refer!
WORKING TOGETHER
• Contact us
• Questions about a situation
• There is no expectation everyone has all the answers
• Presentations to your department
• Understand that contact by Student Assistance is in
no way a reflection on you or how you do your job
• Be as flexible and collaborative as possible
• Refer/report students
REPORTING A STUDENT OF CONCERN
• Clear
• Give examples, not feelings
REPORTING A STUDENT OF CONCERN
REPORTING A STUDENT OF CONCERN
FINAL THOUGHTS
• We ALL have a responsibility to support students in
need, it takes a village!
• Working together and collaboration makes this task
easier for everyone
Do what you can, when you can, listen, and
remember, if you are doing what feels right, it is
probably the right thing.
QUESTIONS?
Katherine Snyder, M. A.
katherinesnyder@email.arizona.edu
626-6186
Coordinator, Student Advocacy and Assistance
Dean of Students Office
University of Arizona