HOW TO MAKE A COUNSELING CENTER REFERRAL

A GUIDE FOR FACULTY and STAFF

The purpose of the Counseling Center at Lesley University/AIB is to promote student success. This guide is designed to assist you in achieving our common goal of maximizing academic success and personal growth of our students. We hope you find this referral guide useful as you address the variety of student concerns apearing in your classes. Please contact any member of the Counseling Staff as needed.

In your role as a Staff or Faculty member of Lesley University/AIB, on occasion you will come in contact with students who are distressed. A student might directly confide his or her concerns to you, another student might share concerns about a classmate, or through observing the student's behavior, you might infer that he or she is distressed. Some behaviors or symptoms which may indicate a need for counselor assistance are:

• Disruptive classroom behaviors
• Poor study habits, inability to get organized, chronic tardiness
• Absenteeism or failing grades
• Declining interest in activities or socializing with others
• Inability to concentrate, reduced ability to cope with stress
• Expressing excessive fear or showing heightened anxiety
• Preoccupation with food, exercise, or strange behaviors around food consumption
• Poor judgment, "clouded" thinking, erratic behaviors or irrational responses
• Signs of intoxication or disorientation
• Sad, sense of futility, feelings of helplessness

How Should I Make A Referral To The Counseling Center?

Students who reveal to you directly that they are distressed and have beeen unable to resolve their concerns on their own may be reaching out for help and be ready to accept it. The most appropriate response to students who seek you out is to:

LISTEN

Empathize with the feelings being expressed. Try to understand what the student is saying from her/his perspective (which does not mean you have to agree with that perspective!)

Be as genuinely supportive as feels appropriate to you.

Keep your own limits in mind. For exmple, don't get more involved in the student's life than is appropriate for you (i.e., in terms of how frequently personal conversations occur, when and where they take place, how much you "take on" in trying to help).

For students who seem to need more than you are able to provide, or if professional counseling seems indicated, suggest that the Counseling Center Staff might be helpful, and that they are there to provide confidential help to students.

You may be able to facilitate the referral by encuraging the student to call for an appointment while in your office. STUDENTS CAN BE SEEN AT EITHER LOCATION. The telephone number is 617.349.8545 for the South Campus(Cambridge) location and 617.585.6745 for AIB (Boston). You may get the voice mail. If so, please leave a message. We do return phone calls as soon as possible and are respectful of confidentiality. The student should leave his/her name and whether or not they need a CONFIDENTIAL message in return.

You can also accompany a student to the Counseling Center, located on the third floor of 23 Mellen Street (Schwartz Hall), Cambridge(South Campus) or room 301 at 700 Beacon Street, Boston, the AIB campus. Materials for leaving a written message are provided on the doors of the Counseling Center.

The situation is more difficult when students do not confide in you directly, but when you infer from their behavior that they are in distress. Depending upon the particulars of the situation, you may or may not choose to approach the student. This decision depends on such factors as what behaviors of the student are concerning you, how troubled the student seems to be, your relationship with him or her, how approachable the student is, as well as your personality style and feelings about intervening.

If you think the student might be open to discussing his/her concerns with you, generally the best approach invloves letting the students know that you've noticed s/he seems upset lately. Keep your comments "open-ended," rather than asking questions that can be answered with "yes/no" responses. Always address your concerns with the student in private.

Be aware that some students may reject your efforts, may deny any troubles, and/or may feel intruded upon. On the other hand, most students will feel appreciative of your interest and concern, and your contact with them might be an important step toward their dealing with their problems.

What About Students Whom you Think Need Counseling But Will Not Go?

If it seems clear that the student needs or could benefit from counseling, but is reluctant to go, you might mention any of the following that seem appropriate for that student:

• The student can try one session to see how it feels.
• The visit will be kept strictly confidential.
• It's free.
• Students with very troubling concerns often get help at the Counseling Center.
  
• A person doesn't have to be seriously disturbed to go to the Counseling Center.
• The Counseling Center Staff will make referrals to psychotherapists or agencies in the community if the student prefers to go outside the University for therapy.
  

Accepting A Student's Right To Say No

Except in certain life-threatening situations, the choice of whether or not to seek professional help at the Counseling Center is up to the troubled person. If a distressed student remains adamant about not seeking counseling, you need to accept the student's decision. If you are quite concerned about such a student, you may consult with the Counseling Center Staff. AIB STAFF AND FACULTY MAY CONTACT STAFF AT EITHER LOCATION.

Knowing Your Limits

While sometimes difficult to do, it is important that you realize the limits of your own responsibility when assisting distressed students. if you are involved in supporting a student, either on your initiative or because the student approached you:

It does not make you responsible for the student's emotional well-being.

It does not mean you must(or can) solve the student's problems.

Often, supporting students in distress involves considerable time and energy on the part of faculty and/or staff people, which can lead to feelings of frustration and being "used up." Further, responding to distressed students can trigger complex personal thoughts and feelings for faculty and staff persons working with such students. It is important to obtain support for yourself as you engage in work with students in distress. This support might come from colleagues, partners, friends, or through consultation with the Counseling Center Staff.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Director of the Counseling Center, Magi McKinnies at 617.349.8546 .