Disability Services and
Mental Illness in Higher
Education
Ms. Christine Collins
Mrs. Cicely Williams
Ice Breaker
1 in 4 people in the World will be affected by
mental or neurological disorder at some point in
their lives –World Health Organization
“The Office of Behavioral Health is currently treating more than 43,000 adults and children with serious mental
illnesses or emotional disturbances through clinics throughout the state. “ –Department of Health and Hospitals for the
State of Louisiana
hard to talk
fragile
manipulative
dangerous
fragile
crazy
STIGMA
attention seeking
incapable
unpredictable
unhealthy
easily agitated
helpless
broken
drug seeing
• Social-How we may view the person with a mental illness
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Can interfere with how effective we are at helping students
Can interfere with how well we explain things
Can interfere how well we treat our students
Can cause us to jump to conclusions about a person prior to giving them a chance.
• Self stigma-How the person with mental illness views themselves
• Can stop the student from asking for help
• Make them feel judged even when they are not.
• How do I combat stigma?
• Be aware of your thoughts and actions.
De-escalation Techniques
reasoning with an enraged person, whether they have a mental illness or not, is not possible
Do THIS…
NOT this
• Stay calm…or at least appear that way
• Relax muscles
• Be mindful of tone
• Smile
• Keep hands out of pocket
• Point or shake finger
• Keep a good distance from the student
• Turn your back
• Give choices, empower student
• Remain respectful, even if being cursed at
• Be defensive
• Argue
• Be judgmental
• Always be on the same eye level
• All of the above can further escalate the situation
• Listen
• Maintain consistent eye contact
• If they sit, you sit. If they stand, you stand.
• Encourage student to sit down
Above all else, if you feel as though the de-escalation attempt is not working or you are in danger, STOP,
get help, ask the student to leave, you leave, ask for assistance from a co-worker, or call campus security
Dealing with Suicidal Students
• How do I know?
• Asses for risk of suicide
• Ask direct questions- “Are you thinking about killing yourself?”
• This needs to be a direct question, do not dilute this question such as “ do you feel like hurt yourself?”
• Asking this question will not push a suicidal person “over the edge” or increase their likelihood of completing suicide.
• What do I do?
• 1. Make sure you are in a safe environment
• 2. Stay calm, Pay attention to approach
• Listen non judgmentally
• The last thing that you want to do is make them feel ashamed or self conscious about their feelings
• You may be the only person that they have been able to talk to
• 3. Try not to give advise, JUST INFORMATION such as hotline numbers, local counseling
agencies, on campus mental health services, etc.
• 4. Try not to leave an actively suicidal person alone
• Offer them water, snacks, anything to keep them there
• Have someone contact the school counselor or mental health office to come and assist you
• If they insist on leaving, make sure you have their name, phone number or address so that you can request that police do a
wellness check on the student.
Students with Disabilities
• Approximately 9 percent of all students attending colleges and universities
have reported they have a disability.
• Nearly 1.3 million students each year.
• These numbers will continue to climb as students coming out of high
school look to post-secondary education as a viable way to make a living.
• About two-thirds of postsecondary students with disabilities received no
accommodations from their colleges. That was attributed in large part to
the fact that about half of postsecondary students with disabilities said
they do not consider themselves to have a disability, and another 7 percent
acknowledged having a disability but had not told their colleges about it.
Disability laws
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Passed in 1990 and Amended in 2006
• Ensures access to facilities, services, and programs
• Section 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitations Act of 1973
• Provides for reasonable accommodations
• All institutions receiving federal aid are covered under this law
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
• For students K-12
• Provides success and modification
Office of Civil Rights
• Each institution should have someone designated as a Title IX and
ADA coordinator.
• “SOWELA Technical Community College does not discriminate on the
basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its
programs or activities.”
• Audits: Office setup, scholarship applications, and posting
information
Strategies for Communication
Students with Disabilities
• Use person first language and refer to students with
disabilities, students who are blind, etc..
• When interacting with students with disabilities,
students' individuality rather than their disability,
should be the focus of communication.
• Avoid using words which imply pity for students
with disabilities, such as "suffering from", "victim
of", "unfortunate", "afflicted with."
• Emphasize abilities, not disabilities. Say, "uses a
wheelchair" rather than "cannot walk" or "confined
to a wheelchair." A wheelchair provides new
opportunities it does not confine.
• When describing a person without disabilities use
"non-disabled" instead of "normal".
• Avoid patronizing stereotypes that imply students
with disabilities are courageous in the face of
adversity, patient, endowed with special gifts as
compensation for their disability, or childlike.
• Speak directly to the student with the disability
rather than the person who may be assisting them.
• Ridiculing a student because of a disability, either
in class or one-to-one, is obviously demeaning.
Equally demeaning is an attitude that is patronizing
or shows fake enthusiasm for a student's
contributions. Students with disabilities require the
same sincerity and professionalism you would
accord all students.
• Confidentiality is an important issue. When you
assist a student with a disability, it is extremely
important to respect that student's privacy. Do not
make comments about them to other students or
your colleagues.
• Do not make students with disabilities discuss their
needs in front of other people.
• Keep an open mind and avoid skepticism or
hostility.
Don’t Assume
• Individuals need to ask for assistance
• Suggest they contact the Office of Disabilities Services
• Provide information on location, phone number, etc..
• Should NOT tell individuals they must speak with someone in
Disability Services unless they ask specifically for assistance in this
area
Who do I call?
Mental Health Related Resources
Disability Services Related Questions/Resources
• Contact your on campus mental health center
• Contact your regional OCR office
• Contact you local behavioral health agency
• Contact your college/university’s office of Disability Services
• It’s recommended that employees get trained in Mental Health 1 st Aid.
• National numbers to call:
• The Trevor Project (for LGBT individuals in crisis): 1-866-4887386
• “Founded in 1998 by the creators of the Academy Award®winning short film TREVOR, The Trevor Project is the
leading national organization providing crisis intervention
and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender and questioning (LGBT) young people ages 1324.”
• Can text without having to call
• Available on Fridays
• Text the word “Trevor” to 1-202-304-1200
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
• Community Crisis centers answer Lifeline calls
• Facebook and Instagram-can report a concerning post that a
student had posted and they will contact the person via email and
they will give them helpful resources
• 911
Resources
Mental Health
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Acadiana Area Human Services District 302 Dulles Drive , Lafayette, LA 705063008 | PH: 337.262.4190
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Capital Area Human Services District 4615 Government Street, Building 2 , Baton
Rouge, LA 70806 | PH: 225.922.2700
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Central Louisiana Human Services District 401 Rainbow Drive, #35 , Pineville, LA
71360 | PH: 318.487.5191
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Florida Parishes Human Services Authority (FPHSA) 835 Pride Drive, Suite B ,
Hammond, LA 70401 | PH: 985.543.4333
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Imperial Calcasieu Human Services Authority 3505 Fifth Avenue, Suite B , Lake
Charles, LA 70607 | PH: 337.475.3100
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Jefferson Parish Human Services Authority 3616 South I-10 Service Road West ,
Metairie, LA 70001 | PH: 504.838.5215
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Metropolitan Human Services District 1010 Common Street, Suite 600 , New
Orleans, LA 70112 | PH: 504.568.3130
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Northeast Delta Human Services Authority 2513 Ferrand Street , Monroe, LA 71201
| PH: 318.362.3270
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Northwest Louisiana Human Services District 2924 Knight Street, Suite 350 ,
Shreveport, LA 71105 | PH: 318.862.3085
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South Central Louisiana Human Services Authority 521 Legion Avenue , Houma,
LA 70364 | PH: 985. 858.2931
Disability Services
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Office of Civil Rights Southwest Region - (Arkansas, Louisiana, New
Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas) 1301 Young Street, Suite 1169
Dallas, TX 75202, Customer Response Center: (800) 368-1019
Fax: (202) 619-3818 TDD: (800) 537-7697 Email: ocrmail@hhs.gov
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Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) - 107
Commerce Center Drive, Suite 204, Huntersville, NC 28078 USA
PHONE: (704) 947-7779
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Louisiana Rehabilition Services: Contact your regional office
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/buzzfeed-bipolarvideo_561676dbe4b0082030a149e5
Questions
Sources
• Psychology Today “Mental Health & Stigma-Mental health symptoms are still
viewed as threatening and uncomfortable”
• National Alliance on Mental Illness
• National Association of Social Workers
• Mental Health 1st Aid
• Santa Fe College Disability Resource Center
• Association on Higher Education and Disability