Learners and Learning: Dealing with Students in Crisis

Emotional distress can seriously interfere with a student's ability to perform well in class. Professors are in a unique position to recognize distressed students and intervene. This section offers links to handbooks and materials to guide professors in recognizing students in crisis and acting appropriately to help the student. Although the interventions may be specific to the colleges that created the documents below, the guidelines and procedures are universally useful.

"Dealing with Students in Crisis" (New York City College of Technology). PDF/Adobe Acrobat.
This handbook is designed to help faculty recognize students at risk of academic failure due to emotional crises and provide appropriate interventions. Crises discussed range from troubling personal issues to suicidal, violent, or threatening students.
Link: http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/files/students/counseling/crisis.pdf

Tips for Recognizing Troubled Students (Buffalo State College).
Tips for recognizing troubled students and suggestions for helping them.
Link: http://www.buffalostate.edu/counselingcenter/x623.xml

Tips for Faculty and Staff in Dealing with Students in Emotional Distress (California State University at Chico).
State University at Chico, Psychological Counseling Center).
Methods for dealing with a range of student behaviors from the anxious or dependent student to the suicidal or verbally aggressive student. Each link contains a list of Dos and Don’ts for the particular behavior being discussed.
Link: http://www.csuchico.edu/counseling/resources/facultyTips/index.shtml

Assisting the Emotionally Distressed Student (California State University, Long Beach, Counseling and Psychological Services).
Additional methods for dealing appropriately with a broad range of troubling student behaviors.
Link: http://www.csulb.edu/divisions/students2/caps/facultyguide.htm

Responding to Distressed Students (University of California, Santa Barbara, Counseling Services)
Addresses how to deal with students who have problems ranging from abusive dating relationships to substance abuse and irrational behavior. Clicking on one of the problems listed, leads to a page of useful information, including dos and don’ts for each type of behavior.
Link: http://www.sa.ucsb.edu/distressedstudentsguide/index.aspx

MSU Resources

Counseling Center: http://www.couns.msu.edu/

Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities: http://www.rcpd.msu.edu/Home/