Adventures in
Mentoring: Peer Leaders
& Campus Mental
Health
Phillip D. Rash, Ph.D.
Ronald K. Chapman, Ph.D.
Rebecca Crawford, M.S.
Brigham Young University
College Mental Health
Students under Pressure
 College and university counseling centers are now
examining how best to serve the growing number of
students seeking their services
 Monitor on Psychology September 2014
College Mental Health
 Research over the past 5-10 years has confirmed that 1
in 4 college students has a diagnosable mental disorder
 The National College Health Assessment suggested
(2013) that during the last year:
 1 in 3 college students experienced depression to the
degree that it impaired their academic functioning
 50% of students experienced significant anxiety
 1 in 3 students reported that stress had significantly
impacted their academic performance
 Psychiatric disorders are the largest group of students
seeking disability accommodations in higher education
College Mental Health
 Students with emotional difficulties have the largest
higher education dropout rate of any disability
category (Sutherland, 2001)
 86% of students with psychiatric disorders withdraw
from college before finishing their degree (Collins et.
al. 2005)
 The National Institute of Mental Health reports that
15% of the 18-30 age group have a mood disorder
College Mental Health
 The Center for Collegiate Mental Health reported that
in 2012-13 students being seen in college counseling
centers related that:
 48.7% had previously attended counseling
 32.9% had previously taken medication for mental
health concerns
 30.3% had seriously considered suicide
 23.2% had engaged in self injury
Counseling Center
Statistics
 Academic and school concerns
85.2%
 Anxiety/worry/nervousness
79.4%
 Trouble with concentration
69.8%
 Procrastination/motivation
69.6%
 Depression
68.2%
BYU’s Mentoring “Program”
 Brief Overview of Peer Mentors on BYU Campus
•
Variety of paid positions – FYM, CASC, Academic Support
•
FYM - self-select opportunity to university-wide initiative
•
FYM - serves all first-year students (including transfers)
•
Each mentor has 60-80 mentees fall and winter semesters
•
•
Most assigned via courses (GE and gateway)
•
Mentor-only as close to majors as we can get and keep balance
Mentor work schedule is quite flexible
•
Major expectation is academic connection to campus
•
Extensive training that sets the tone on the “hows”
•
Detail oriented application/interview system
Our Shared Values
 Mentoring is Learning
 Reflection Kindles Growth
 Relationships are Everything
 Professionalism Strengthens Relationships
 Success= Consistent Focused Effort
 Mentoring is not responsive, it is proactive
 Mentors become “friends with training”
The First-Year Mentoring Way
Case Studies
 Fortuitous phone call- “I’m not doing very well”
 Late night text message- “Phil I really need you to call
me”
 New Student Orientation – “No, he wants to go home
right now”
Training & Supervision
 Mental health content is embedded throughout our training
process and not consolidated in one place and at one event.
We find that there is a “rhythm” to a semester and
common concerns tend to surface at predictable times.
 Most of the skills we teach are used in all conversations and
not exclusively with students struggling with mental health
concerns.
 Crisis and emergency response training is provided at the
beginning of the academic year semester.
 There is no such thing as completed training (for staff or for
mentors.
Training & Supervision
 Training is Comprehensive and On-Going
 Fall Training
 Spring Training
 Summer On-Line Modules
 Certification
 Weekly Staff Meeting
 Practice, Practice, Practice
 Role plays
 Goreact.com (video practice)
Training & Supervision
 Supervision- (1 part training, 1 part support, 1 part
accountability & follow-through)
 Weekly one-on-one supervision with staff and peer
supervisor
 Weekly “Co-Mentoring” groups
 Open door policy with staff
Vital Skills & Information
 Listening
 Self-Authorship
 Noticing (Observing)
 Counseling Center

Common concerns &
how to recognize them
 Reflection

How to respond to a
crisis
 Anatomy of a

Accessing emergency
contacts
 Asking Questions
Conversation
 Boundaries
 Learning Skills
 Common concerns that
might “present” as
academic in the rhythm of
the semester
Critical Relationships
 On-Campus Housing
 Specific residence hall liaisons
 FYM director is invited to Res. Life Executive
Committee
 Faculty
 First-Year Writing (small class sizes and significant
mentor involvement)
 Academic Advisors
 Counseling & Psychological Services