TAP:
STUDENTS’
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
DAWN Z. HODGES, PH.D.
JODIE VANGROV, ED.D.
Presented to the League for
Innovation, March 2014
PSYCHOSOCIAL NEEDS
OF COLLEGE STUDENTS
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First generation
Non-traditional
Stress
Life transitions
Substance abuse
Relationship violence
School violence (e.g.
active shooter)
Divorce
Family dysfunction
Low self esteem
Anger management
• Poor interpersonal
attachments
• Lack of academic
preparation
• Serious mental health
problems (Depression, Bipolar
Disorder and Schizophrenia first
manifest in late adolescence or
early adulthood)
• Suicidal ideation
• Sexual assault
• Eating disorders
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Kitzrow, M.A. The Mental Health Needs of
Today’s College Students: Challenges and
Recommendations. NASPA Journal, Vol.
41, no. 1, Fall 2003
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Innovation, March 2014
ERIKSON'S PSYCHOSOCIAL STAGES
SUMMARY CHART
(Stage, Basic Conflict, Important Events, Outcome)
Adolescence (12 to 18 years)
Identity vs. Role Confusion – Basic Conflict
Social Relationships – Important Events
Teens need to develop a sense of self and personal identity.
Success leads to an ability to stay true to yourself, while failure
leads to role confusion and a weak sense of self.
Young Adulthood (19 to 40 years)
Intimacy vs. Isolation – Basic Conflict
Relationships – Important Events
Young adults need to form intimate, loving relationships with
other people. Success leads to strong relationships, while failure
results in loneliness and isolation.
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Innovation, March 2014
EATING DISORDERS
• Eating disorders are so common in America that 1
or 2 out of every 100 students will struggle with one.
Each year, thousands of teens develop eating
disorders, or problems with weight, eating, or body
image.
*Nemours Office of Child Health Policy and Advocacy
Washington, DC
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Innovation, March 2014
TEEN DEPRESSION
• Signs and symptoms of teen depression
• It's hard to put into words how depression feels, and people experience it differently.
There are, however, some common problems and symptoms that teens with depression
experience.
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You constantly feel irritable, sad, or angry.
Nothing seems fun anymore, and you just don’t see the point of trying.
You feel bad about yourself—worthless, guilty, or just "wrong" in some way
You sleep too much or not enough.
You have frequent, unexplained headaches or other physical problems.
Anything and everything makes you cry.
You’ve gained or lost weight without consciously trying to.
You just can’t concentrate. Your grades may be plummeting because of it.
You feel helpless and hopeless .
You’re thinking about death or suicide. (If this is true, talk to someone right away!)
Presented to the League for
Innovation, March 2014
MOST TEEN MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS GO UNTREATED
BY RICK NAUERT PHD SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
REVIEWED BY JOHN M. GROHOL, PSY.D. ON NOVEMBER 19, 2013
• A Duke University review of a survey involving more than 10,000 American
teenagers reveals that more than half of adolescents with psychiatric
disorders receive no treatment of any sort.
• Moreover, when treatment does occur, the providers are rarely mental health
specialists, said Dr. E. Jane Costello, a Duke University professor of psychology
and epidemiology, the study leader.
• The country’s mental health system has come under scrutiny in recent years
following a string of mass shootings in which mental illness seems to have
played a role.
• Adolescents with ADHD, conduct disorder or oppositional defiant disorder
received mental health care more than 70 percent of the time.
• By contrast, teens suffering from phobias or anxiety disorders were the least
likely to be treated.
• Results also varied greatly by race, with black youths significantly less likely to
be treated for mental disorders than white youths.
Presented to the League for
Innovation, March 2014
I’D BEEN WONDERING FOR YEARS………
WHY DOESN’T TCSG START A STATE-WIDE
STUDENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM?????
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Innovation, March 2014
HOW IT CAME TO BE
• Email to TCSG Director of Student Affairs
• Conversation with TCSG Human
Resources
• Conversations with Dr. Peters and Xenia
Johns
• Meeting with SCTC, Mike, Nichole, and
Cameron and Associates
• From idea to reality in less than three
months!
Presented to the League for
Innovation, March 2014
HOW IT WORKS
• All students pay a $7 per semester fee;
• Students and any members of their household can
seek counseling;
• Four visits per student or household member per
issue per year
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Divorce
Grief
Legal issues
Stress
Children acting out
Alcohol & Drug abuse
And others
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Innovation, March 2014
OTHER SERVICES
• Group sessions for students
• Study skills
• Stress management
• Financial planning
• In-class presentations
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Innovation, March 2014
TRAINING
• Provided by Cameron & Associates
• One hour sessions offered for faculty, staff, and
administrators
• Topics covered
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What to look for in students who might need help
How to approach a student with TAP information
What not to say to students
How the services work
What services are offered
Potential liability
Question & Answer session
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Innovation, March 2014
BROCHURES, POSTERS,
AND BUSINESS CARDS
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Innovation, March 2014
THE BROCHURE
Southern Crescent Technical
College
THE USAGE STATS
• Receive monthly reports on usage
• 48 students used the services during AY
2013.
• But, the stats don’t tell nearly the whole
story.
Presented to the League for
Innovation, March 2014
RESULTS
• I personally have referred several
students to the program. I know that
we, as a college, have referred at
least three students with suicidal
ideations to the program. We have
gotten them immediate help. That
alone has been worth it for me. (dzh)
Presented to the League for
Innovation, March 2014
IT’S A SAFETY NET
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Innovation, March 2014
ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE
• I often give out the card for the TAP program. A tutoring
student actually used the counseling services and was
able to remove herself from an abusive relationship. She
later came in and told me how well she was doing and
that the counselor had helped her so much after one
session. This student is doing so well, she is taking online
classes! This is not something she could do before due to
her relationship situation. I say bravo to the tap program!
Students, who can manage their personal lives, do a
much better job handling their academic lives. At the
end of the day, the student felt she got the help she
needed and that’s the goal. (tutoring center director)
Presented to the League for
Innovation, March 2014
ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE
• I have referred several students for TAP. There are two of whom I am
certain utilized the services. Both students had very positive
experiences with the counseling. They each spoke highly of the staff,
process and outcome. These two students were dealing with
significant amounts of stress and life issues. Both were also pregnant.
They each confirmed that the services produced tangible outcomes
that helped them in their lives. Both stated they would be very
confident in both using the services again as well as referring their
peers to TAP. Each also expressed how much it meant to them that
Southern Crescent provided these services. Both also relayed that
had TAP not been available, the fear of not being able to pay for the
services, would have kept them from seeking counseling. I am very
glad that we have this resource for our students. I believe it is
touching lives. (paramedic instructor)
Presented to the League for
Innovation, March 2014
ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE
• I referred a student to the TAP program just last
semester who I believed to have an abusive
situation at home. I approached her after class one
day and told her that I did not need specifics;
however, I felt very compelled to give her the TAP
information. She broke down in tears and told me a
little about what was going on at home. I
explained to her that the TAP program was
confidential and assured her they could help
her. She is in my classes this summer and she
seems to be a totally different person. (accounting
instructor)
Presented to the League for
Innovation, March 2014
ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE
• I referred an ECCE student to TAP on Monday. This student is
new to SCTC as of this semester. She grew up in an abusive
house[hold] and told me that her mother had kicked the
abusive father out of the house only to let him back
in. Because of this my student became homeless a week
before her 21st birthday. She has never lived way from her
mother, doesn’t know how to manage money, and doesn’t
have a job. She was furious that her mother chose her father
over her and her sister (I know of one sibling, however there
may be more). She is currently living with her ex-boyfriend and
his father. She had to drop 2 classes because they met on
campus and she doesn’t have a car (her mother was going to
drive her to school, but on the first day of class her father
decided he should do it). She is taking 2 online classes this
semester and just needed someone besides family to talk to. I
was thrilled that we could offer her TAP and she was thrilled to
hear about it. (Early Childhood Care & Education instructor)
Presented to the League for
Innovation, March 2014
ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE
I have referred several people to the program. Each individual has been
VERY happy with his or her therapist. One woman is a single mother, fulltime student, has a full-time job and looked so exhausted and sad every
time she came in class. I always stay for a bit after class in case someone
has questions or just wants to chit chat. One day, I just asked her if she
could stay behind. I told her that though she was doing well in the class, I
was worried about her because she seemed so tired, and she told me her
story. She was at her wits end and felt that she could not survive the stress
of caring for her mother who refused to get help (schizophrenia). The
student literally had to travel to New York to get her mother because she
was homeless. I reminded her of TAP; Cameron and Associates referred
her to a therapist here in Griffin. Her therapist helped her get her mother in
with the local mental health center that works on a sliding scale basis, is on
medication and working toward social security disability. Every time I see
her in the hallway she runs up and hugs me and thanks me for reminding
her of TAP. She has learned how to take care of herself and now exercises
and eats healthy foods. I wish I had a before and after picture of her
because I really believe that the program saved her life. I know that
sounds dramatic, but truly she was headed down hill fast! (psychology
instructor)
Presented to the League for
Innovation, March 2014
ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE
• I want to thank you again for your help. I wish I had ask
someone sooner. With everything that is going on with
me and every lawyer that I talk to. They tell me that I
need $3500 or better before they can file an paperwork
for a divorce case for me. My husband has left the
house (which is a good thing) and does not provide
anything for the house but the rent. I have a lot to do
and no money to do it with. But I will keep fighting
knowing that someone is out there and they are willing
to help. Thank you again and may GOD give you many,
many blessings. (student email to instructor)
Presented to the League for
Innovation, March 2014
UNEXPECTED OUTCOME
• Student discipline:
• Student stole insignificant items from bookstore
• One semester suspension was recommended
• Suspension appeal hearing
• Possibly a kleptomaniac (????), but I’m not qualified
to judge
• Upheld suspension, but…
• Mandated four visits to TAP program prior to return
• Cannot know what they talk about, but can get
confirmation that student attended
Presented to the League for
Innovation, March 2014
BEYOND THE PILOT
LIFE BALANCE PROGRAM (LBP)
• Atlanta Technical College
• Augusta Technical College
• Gwinnett Technical College
• Piedmont Technical College
• Cameron expects additional colleges to add
services in 2014.
Presented to the League for
Innovation, March 2014
TCSG OVERALL UTILIZATION
COMPARISON
2012 Utilization
5,500 Covered Lives
• Face to Face Utilization – 146 Cases
• 2.65% Utilization Rate
• Online Services – 116 Logins
• 2.10% Utilization Rate
• Phone Services – 274 Calls
• 4.98% Utilization Rate
• Worklife Services – 17 Cases
• .31% Utilization Rate
• Training Services – 16 Sessions
• .22 Utilization Rate
• Healthfair Services – 0 Sessions
• .00 Utilization Rate
• CISD- Critical Incidents – 5 Cases
• .09% Utilization Rate
• Supervisory Referrals – 6 Cases
• .11% Utilization Rate
• Overall Utilization 10.46%
Average Rate is 5%
TCSG was 5.46% above average on Overall
Utilization and .65% Above Face to Face
Utilization.
2013 Utilization
5,780 Covered Lives
• Face to Face Utilization – 165 Cases
• 2.85% Utilization Rate
• Online Services – 90 Logins
• 1.56% Utilization Rate
• Phone Services – 364 Calls
• 6.30% Utilization Rate
• Worklife Services – 10 Cases
• .17% Utilization Rate
• Training Services – 6 Sessions
• .10 Utilization Rate
• Healthfair Services – 0 Sessions
• .00 Utilization Rate
• CISD- Critical Incidents – 5 Cases
• .00% Utilization Rate
• Supervisory Referrals – 6 Cases
• .10% Utilization Rate
• Overall Utilization 11.08%
Average Rate is 5%
TCSG is 6.08% above average on Overall
Utilization and .85% Above Face to Face
Utilization.
Presented to the League for
Innovation, March 2014
TIPS FOR STARTING A STUDENT
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
• Bring all the right people to
the table (including the
Student Government
Association)
• Get support from the top
• Use data and the literature
to support your cause
• Find the right provider
partner, if you wish to
outsource
• Remember it’s not IF a
student will need this
support, it’s WHEN.
Presented to the League for
Innovation, March 2014
CONTACT INFORMATION
Dawn Z. Hodges, Ph.D.
Vice President for
Academic Affairs
Southern Crescent
Technical College
501 Varsity Road
Griffin, GA 30223
(770) 229-3293
dhodges@sctech.edu
Jodie Vangrov, Ed.D.
Dean of General
Education
Georgia Northwestern
Technical College
Gordon County Campus
1151 Hwy. 53 Spur
Calhoun, Georgia 30701
(706) 378-1753
jvangrov@gntc.edu
Presented to the League for
Innovation, March 2014
QUESTIONS?
Presented to the League for
Innovation, March 2014