PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES
AT UWSP & THE CHANGING
PICTURE OF UNDERGRADUATE
MENTAL HEALTH
Dr. Jason J. Siewert, Licensed Psychologist.
UWSP Counseling Center
Goals for today.
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Introduce and clarify the nature of Psychological
Services on campus.
Discuss the changing dynamics of undergraduate mental
health.
Discuss referrals and appropriate responses to
apparent mental health emergency situations.
Know the difference between “kinda bad” and “really
bad.”
 Learn very basic techniques for communicating effectively
with someone who may be emotionally unstable.
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The UWSP Counseling Center
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3rd Floor, Delzell Hall. 910 Fremont
St.
Information about all services
available online at
www.uwsp.edu/counseling
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Individual Therapy
Group Therapy
Faculty/Staff Consultation
Education, Prevention & Training
Provides emergency and crisis
services during business hours.
Free to currently enrolled students.
Confidential
“Brief Therapy”
One of the most heavily-utilized
student services on campus.
The Changing Picture of Collegiate
Mental Health.
The Spirit of the 90’s.
What is going on with the students?
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Persistent increases in mental health disturbances among
enrolled students.
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1 in 10 students have meaningful thoughts of suicide in a given
academic year.
20% increase in UWSP Counseling Center appointments from Fall
2012 to Fall 2013! Rising demand each year strains resources.
Psychological concerns becoming more severe & higher risk.
Social Media presents pressures that did not used to exist.
Student’s overall level of personal independence is
changing.
Economic variables have caused some students to internalize
the notion that the world of work is brutally competitive, and
perfectionism is the only insurance against it.
College: Gatekeeper to Affluence
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College is presented as a prerequisite for financial
stability and a successful, satisfying career.
This message not simply advanced by the schools,
but by politicians, parents, media.
The Result:
 College
becomes massively valuable.
 Grades become the only credible measure of success
there.
What are students actually buying here?
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Are they buying particular outcomes?
 “I
paid you to teach me biology well enough to pass
this test.”
 Pressure on YOU.
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Or are they buying the right to participate in a
course or sequence of courses, led by experts in the
area who provide honest, expert evaluation?
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Pressure on THEM.
Preparation: What is going on in High School?
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52 percent of first-generation 2013 high school
graduates who took the ACT met none of the four ACT
College Readiness Benchmarks (English, Math, Reading,
Science).
89% of High School teachers believe their students are
“well” or “very well” prepared for first year college
coursework.
26% of College faculty believe students are prepared.
Grade inflation. GPA's have increased significantly, ACT
and SAT test scores have not.
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This influences student expectations and what various grades
mean to them.
An Evolving Student Experience.
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College regarded as more essential but harder to afford.
Some students appear not to have had to independently deal with failures
and setbacks.
For some, college may be the first tangible experience where they can
genuinely fail out or get left behind.
Many of today’s students have not had to be quite as resourceful to access
information or solve problems.
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Naming the 22nd president now, vs. 1990.
My Phone in College.
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Made and received calls.
Sent text messages if you were
patient and committed.
Did not expose me to an endless
amount of self-curated facebook
pages that paint my friends in
the best possible light.
Could not be used to take
embarrassing photos and spread
them to my entire social network
in seconds.
Solved almost no problems for
me and answered almost no
questions for me.
Looked pretty sweet with a fake
wood replacement cover.
The Challenge for Us.
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We have to teach college-level coursework with college
standards to a changing student body.
We have to adapt to the reality as it is, not as we wish
it were.
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Some combination of flexible and firm is called for.
Your nuanced judgment of those will be necessary.
 Students come from systems that have generally expressed
willingness to adapt and change to meet their individual needs.
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We have to be sensitive and responsive to emotional
distress, without abandoning standards and
accountability.
Recognizing & Responding to Mental
Health Concerns.
Warning Signs: What to look for.
Warning signs fall into two tiers:
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Tier 1 - Obvious:
 Suicidal comments (used with any seriousness at all), suicide notes.
 ALWAYS SERIOUS. These should never be ignored or dismissed.
 Social Media or Technology-based comments DO COUNT and should be taken seriously.
 Evidence of a recent overdose/clear need for medical evaluation.
Tier 2 - Subtle:
 Hopelessness, anger, sadness, recklessness, helplessness, increased alcohol/drug use, isolation,
agitation, volatile moods, minor self-inflicted injuries not needing medical involvement,
prolonged insomnia, fatigue, apathy, disruptive or exaggerated behavior, withdrawal,
numerous requests for special consideration, academic changes, hygiene changes.
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The more of these there are, the greater the concern. These are cumulative.
Significant changes from that person’s norm are relevant.
“Kinda Bad” = A couple tier 2 signs.
 Use good judgment and consult with others around you. Offering to be helpful is often wellreceived.
“Really Bad” = Lots of tier 2 signs or any tier 1 sign.
 Speak to the student, other faculty, or a Counseling Center staff member urgently. Contact
Protective Services if the situation seems risky or requires the prompt involvement of a
professional.
Handling Intense or Severe Mental
Health Situations.
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In a crisis appointment in my office, I actually speak
about 50% LESS than I would in an ordinary initial
assessment appointment.
The problem will still exist when you are done talking.
 This is “Their emergency, not yours.” Stay grounded and
thoughtful.
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Allow a person to feel completely heard and then
tactfully point them toward an option that is better able
to handle the situation than you.
Faculty walkovers to the Counseling Center are not
uncommon or weird for us.
Tactfulness in referral.
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My “Get Out Of Jail Free Card”
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“How can I be helpful to you?”
“You seem to be under a considerable amount of stress. Do
you think you would feel comfortable speaking to a
professional about this?”
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If yes, this is a good time to inform about Counseling resources.
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Remember that it is Free, Confidential and On-Campus.
“Would you like me to help you get connected to somebody on
campus who can help?”
The student can say “no.”
It is wise to follow up with the student if you refer them to us.
Consultation
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Seek out the Dean of Students office or the
Counseling Center for consultation when:
 The
support you have already provided does not seem
to be enough.
 You feel overwhelmed, overly responsible, or worried
about a student’s safety.
 The student is disruptive.
 The student admits there is a problem but does not
want to discuss it.
 You think your personal feelings about the student will
interfere with your objectivity or grading.
Other info
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Just because a student struggles to cope, does not
mean that you must abandon all standards and
accountability.
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flexible, but do establish and enforce boundaries.
Don’t forget, that our office can serve as a
consultation resource for you and can help guide
you through challenging situations.
Consider attending one of my 2-hour Crisis
Management Trainings that happen each semester.