A UC Irvine Community Approach to Managing
Students’ Mental Health Issues
October 16, 2009
Presenters:
Jeanne E. Manese, Ph.D.
Director, Counseling Center
Vivien Chan, M.D.
Chief of Mental Health, Student Health Center
Assistant Clinical Professor,
Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior
UCI College of Medicine
Acknowledgments to UCSD Counseling and Psychological Services for their
contributions and collaboration in this presentation
Goals
Identify selected psychological concerns
that affect students, academic functioning
and student life
Assist UC Irvine staff and faculty with
management options for these students
Provide UC Irvine and community
resources
Mission of the Counseling Center
The Counseling Center seeks to promote optimal
mental health , personal growth, resilience, and
the development of coping strategies. Our
mission is to provide support to students through
crisis intervention, assessment, time limited
individual psychotherapy and psychiatric
services, group counseling, and referral.
We also offer campus consultation, training, and
educational workshops.
UCI Student Health Center
Outpatient Primary Care Clinic
Mental Health Clinic
(949) 824 1835
Individual Psychology, Psychiatry
and Counseling Services in a
multidisciplinary setting
Treatment in College – A
Psychiatrist’s Perspective
Determining what is
normal: no
treatment, or
supportive growthbased counseling
What is “adjustment
typical to the age
group:” all of
Student Affairs
resources are useful
What requires
ongoing treatment:
need a mental
health professional
©Gary Larsen
Treatment in College – A
Psychiatrist’s Perspective
A Brief Overview of
– Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
– Eating Disorders
– Autism, Asperger’s Disorder and Pervasive
Developmental Disorders
– Psychosis
The Language of Suicide
Education & Outreach
Collaborative Effort of QPR: “Question
Persuade Refer” suicide prevention
campaign
– Have your unit call Health Education to
schedule your training!
– Available to faculty, staff and student groups
Health Education Center
Project COURAGE
Ellen Thomas-Reibling, Ph.D
Collaborative effort in C&HS
SAMHSA Grant 2005-8 for
Suicide Prevention
QPR Training:
Question/Persuade/Refer
Award-winning Website:
don’teraseyourfuture.org
. . . Coming to a sidewalk near
you on NOVEMBER 4, 2008 . . .
The Language of Suicide
More Helpful Vocabulary Less Helpful Vocabulary
Deliberate Self Injury
“cutter” “self mutilator”
“suicide threat” “suicide
gesture” “failed suicide
attempt”
Completed Suicide (Attempt) “successful suicide”
Aborted Suicide Attempt
Incomplete Suicide Attempt
Awareness that risk is
belief that “risk level” is static
always ongoing, in context of and that assessment of risk
(high) potential for lethality,
is an event
(low) rescue, among many
other factors
Managing Potentially Threatening
Situations
www.cmha-bc.org March 2005
Be aware that not all unusual behavior is
dangerous or violent. If behavior is threatening,
however, take the threat seriously and protect
yourself by removing yourself from the situation
and calling for help, including calling 911 or a
peace officer.
Avoid touching the person, and allow maximum
personal space. Do not stand between the
person and an exit, but make sure that you have
access to a safe exit also. This reduces the
perception of you as a threat.
Managing Potentially Threatening
Situations www.cmha-bc.org March 2005
Speak slowly, calmly and quietly; do not respond
to insults or aggressive talk but do respond to
other questions with short answers so that the
person can understand and does not feel
ignored. Often persons in psychosis are
experiencing auditory hallucinations (hearing
voices) and cannot hear or deal with more than
short, simple statements or questions.
It may be necessary to repeat yourself before
the person can hear and understand you.
Managing Potentially Threatening
Situations www.cmha-bc.org March 2005
Do not exhibit nervous or aggressive behavior such as
crossing your arms, pointing at the person, standing with
your hands on your hips, or making abrupt or quick
movements. Again, this reduces any perception that you
are a threat.
Explain what is happening – – not in terms of the
person’s own experience, but what you or others are
doing to help them. If the person is hearing voices, tell
them that you cannot hear them but understand that they
do. It’s okay to ask if they are hearing voices and what
the voices are saying; this may help the person’s
anxiety. Explain who you are and who others are who
may arrive. Explain that you are all trying to help.
Proposed Model of Mental
Health Services:
Counseling & Health Services
Student Affairs
Proposed Mental Health Model
The following slide contains a flowchart of
a proposed mental health model / system
of organization for the UCI campus
– Ability to execute the model is dependent on
campus support
Proposed Mental Health Model
HIGHLIGHTS of proposal:
– One single point of entry / one telephone line
for all callers to remember for help-seeking /
questions
– Collaboration between units which serve
students in need
– Improved data tracking for students
(re)entering, (re)exiting the campus
– After-hours service, including Proto-call, with
the possibility of on-site after-hours service