Worcester Campus

Faculty Guide

Information for MCPHS Faculty and Staff to Assist Students with Psychological Emergencies/Urgent Issues

Students experience a great deal of academic, social, family, work and financial stress. While many cope successfully, for some the pressures become overwhelming and unmanageable. Students may feel alone, isolated, helpless and even hopeless. These feelings can disrupt academic performance and may have debilitating consequences.

As faculty members, you are at the front lines of students' educational experiences, and in a unique position to identify and help students who are having difficulties, particularly those who cannot or will not turn to family or friends. Your attentiveness and expression of interest and concern may be critical factors in helping students succeed, academically and personally.

Since you interact with students on a regular basis, you may see shifts in their appearance, attitude, behavior and academic performance. Changes in any of these areas can signal that students are having difficulty in some aspect of their lives. The following information is designed to help you understand when students may be distressed, mental health issues that you may observe in students and how to assist students in getting needed support, including referral to MCPHS Counseling Services.

Counseling Services is available to faculty and staff for consultation about student issues. Please feel free to contact Counseling Services anytime to discuss your questions and/or concerns.

Quick Links

Signs of student distress

Significant or sustained changes in any of the following general areas may indicate that a student is having difficulty:

  • Changes in academic performance – attendance, class participation, procrastination, poor quality work, difficulty concentrating;
  • Marked changes in appearance – hygiene, weight loss, weight gain;
  • Shifts in behavior – social withdrawal, hyperactivity, fatigue, irritability, aggressiveness;
  • Shifts in a mood – apathy, anxiety, sadness, hopelessness, grief, anger, over-excitement;
  • Thought processes that seem bizarre, paranoid, racing, or delusional.

Specific situations that merit referral to Counseling Services include:

  • When a student is depressed (i.e. crying, reporting s/he is depressed or down”);
  • When a student is unable to control her/his emotions and/or behavior( i.e. anxious, having a panic attack, agitated, crying uncontrollably);
  • When you are concerned about a student's weight and/or eating behavior (significant weight loss, induced vomiting, restrictive eating, binging);
  • When you are concerned about a student's substance use;
  • When a student appears to be in an abusive relationship;
  • When a student has experienced the death of a loved one and appears to be having difficulty grieving;
  • When you are concerned about a student, even if you are unclear about what is going on with the student and/or what your specific concerns are.

Referral steps for students in distress (non-emergency)

Inform the student of Counseling Services and suggest that the student seek assistance.

During regular business hours (M-F, 8:30am-4:30pm), escort the student to Counseling Services in Room 411A or assist the student in calling Counseling Services at 508.373.5718. (Note: Worcester Counseling Services is open Mondays and Thursdays, 11am-6pm.) Inform the student that Counseling Services has drop-in hours Mondays and Thursdays, 12:00-1:00 pm for brief consultations and to set up appointments.

After business hours, in non-emergency situations, assist the student in leaving a phone message with Counseling Services to schedule an appointment. Students can also request Counseling Services appointments via e-mail addressed to counseling.worc@mcphs.edu.

How to talk to students about your concerns (non-emergency)

Talking to students about your concern for their well-being can be difficult, but your time and attention may be a powerful catalyst for students getting the support they need. Acknowledging a student's distress is one way to begin. Share with the student what you have observed about them, that you are concerned about their well-being and that support and resources are available.

When talking to students, also consider the following:

Privacy: Talk to students in private when both of you have time and are not preoccupied. A few minutes of listening on your part can be validating and may help the student feel comfortable about what to do next.

Honesty: Be frank with students about your concerns, sharing what you observe without judging their experience.

Limits: Be clear about the limits of your ability to help students. It is not your role or responsibility to counsel students on personal matters, but you can help them get the support they need.

Suggest that a student seek help instead of telling or ordering them to do so.

Inform the student of Counseling Services and tell them that students visit Counseling Services for a variety of reasons. Some students hold the stereotyped view that only people with serious mental problems go to counseling. Reassure them that seeking help is a sign of strength and does not mean that they have serious problems. MCPHS Counseling Services exists to support students as they negotiate the many pressures of academic life. Any and all student concerns are welcome.

Timing is important. If a student is receptive to seeing a counselor, provide them with Counseling Services’ phone number (508.373.5718) or  offer them access to your phone so they can make an appointment. Also, let students know that Counseling Services has drop-in hours every day from 12:00-1:00 pm for brief consultations and to set up appointments.

Mental Health Emergencies

Mental health emergencies include:

  • if a student exhibits psychotic symptoms (bizarre behavior, paranoia, delusions, hallucinations)
  • if a student verbally or physically indicates intent to harm her/himself and/or others
  • if a student says s/he has been sexually assaulted
  • if a student makes suicide threats and/or comments
  • if a student makes homicidal threats and/or comments
  • if a student makes a suicide attempt

Referral steps for mental health emergencies

If a student requires immediate medical attention, call Public Safety at 508.373.5800 Give them information on your location and need for an ambulance.

Request that Public Safety contact the Interim Associate Dean of Students-Worcester at 508.373.5640 or 508.890.8855 (Administrative Assistant). The Interim Associate Dean of Students-Worcester will coordinate assistance from Counseling Services and ambulance transport to a local hospital emergency room as needed.

Do not leave the student alone.

Be honest with the student about the fact that you need to inform the Interim Associate Dean of Students – Worcester. Do not promise confidentiality. It is important for the student to know that you are involving professionals who can help (even if the student does not feel that is possible).

Only share information about the incident with people who absolutely need to know.

Depression/Suicide related behaviors

Depression

College is a time of major transition, filled with excitement and challenge. Amidst so much change, some students experience anxiety and uncertainty, and may feel alone and overwhelmed. While these feelings are often transient, they can linger and lead to depression. Depression is a clinical condition that negatively – and often quite significantly – affects how one feels, thinks and acts. Listed below are symptoms of depression that merit clinical attention:

  • persistent sad, empty, or anxious mood
  • feeling completely alone, separate or different
  • loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities, ranging from schoolwork to eating
  • appetite changes that result in weight losses or gains not related to dieting
  • insomnia or oversleeping
  • decreased energy and/or increased fatigue
  • restlessness and/or irritability
  • feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt
  • difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions
  • persistent physical symptoms – headaches, digestive problems, chronic pain – that do not respond to medical treatment
  • thoughts of death or suicide or attempts at suicide

Suicide related behaviors

Suicide is difficult to predict and any suicidal talk or attempt must be taken seriously. The following are possible warning signs of suicide:

  • displaying symptoms of depression listed above;
  • increasing use of alcohol and/or other drugs;
  • engaging in high-risk activities such as reckless driving or physical fights;
  • obtaining the means for killing oneself (i.e. buying a gun, stocking up on sleeping pills);
  • giving away possessions;
  • indicating a desire to “get even” with significant others, or “make them sorry”;
  • indicating that “Everyone would be better off without me” or asking questions such as, “What would happen if someone took X amount of sleeping pills?”;
  • discussing suicide, the hereafter, and/or wills and other legal matters related to death;
  • past suicide attempts.
Helping a Student who is suicidal

Do NOT assume the situation will take care of itself.

Explain to the student that you are concerned about the situation.

Have the student stay with you or another person while you seek assistance.

Follow the procedures listed above under Mental Health Emergency Referral Steps.

When interacting with a student who is suicidal, note the following:

  • do not be sworn to secrecy;
  • do not act shocked or surprised at what the student says;
  • do not challenge, dare or use verbal shock treatments. Comments such as “Oh, you'd never really do it,” “You're not the type,” or “If you really mean it, then do it,” are insensitive and dangerous. Most people are ambivalent about suicide, but this does not reduce the danger that they may act impulsively.
  • do not get into intellectual arguments with the student about whether s/he should live or die. Try instead to listen patiently to her/his feelings.

Sexual assault of a student

Sexual assault is a single term covering a range of coercive behaviors The common element of these behaviors is the use of coercion, force or threat of force to obtain sexual contact against a person's will. The type of coercion may range from psychological threat, to coercion due to a victim's physical or mental helplessness, to physical violence with or without weapons. The type of contact may range from unwanted sexual touching to intercourse or other sexual penetration. The perpetrator of sexual assault may often be known to the survivor. The experience may severely traumatize the survivor even in the absence of physical force.

Because of the profound impact that sexual assault has on the survivor and the MCPHS community, faculty members and other college employees must report a student sexual assault – without using the survivor's name (unless the survivor chooses otherwise) – to the Dean of Students immediately. After normal business hours, faculty members and other college employees can obtain contact information for the Dean of Students from Public Safety. Beyond this specific contact, faculty members and other college employees should keep this information in the strictest confidence. Unless specifically asked by the survivor, faculty members and other college employees are asked to withdraw from the intervention process at this point.

If a student is in distress, follow the procedures listed above under Referral steps for mental health emergency.

List of Helpful Numbers

Counseling Services (Worcester) 508.373.5718
Counseling Services (Boston) 617.732.2837
Public Safety 508.373.5800
Interim Associate Dean of Students Worcester 508.373.5640
Dean of Students (Boston) 617.732.2929

Note: Public Safety can also assist in locating the Dean of Students or Interim Associate Dean of Students-Worcester in an emergency.

Additional Mental Health Concerns

Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders

"Stressed out" and "anxious" are words commonly used to describe life on college campuses. More than 23 million Americans with Anxiety Disorders - many between the age of 18 and 24 - face much more than "normal" stress. Their lives are filled with overwhelming anxiety and fears that are chronic and unremitting, and that usually progress if untreated. The following is a brief description of the more common Anxiety Disorders.

  • Panic Disorder - Repeated episodes of intense fear that strike often and without warning. Physical symptoms include chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, sweating, abdominal distress, feelings of unreality and fear of dying.
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - Repeated unwanted thoughts or compulsive behaviors that seem impossible to stop or control (i.e. someone who is obsessed with cleanliness and must wash her/his hands over and over).
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Persistent symptoms that occur after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event such as assault, war, child abuse, natural disasters or crashes. Nightmares, flashbacks, numbing of emotions, depression and feeling angry, irritable, distracted and startling easily are common symptoms.
  • Phobias - Two major types are Specific Phobia and Social Phobia. People with Specific Phobia experience extreme and irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger and thus they often avoid what they fear (i.e. snakes, elevators). People with Social Phobia have an overwhelming and disabling fear of scrutiny, embarrassment or humiliation in social situations, which leads to avoidance of many potentially pleasurable and meaningful activities.
  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder - Constant, exaggerated worrisome thoughts and tension about everyday routine life events and activities, lasting at least six months. People with this disorder anticipate the worst in most situations. They can experience physical symptoms such as fatigue, trembling, muscle tension, headache or nausea.

Psychotic Behavior

Psychotic behavior (mainly delusions and hallucinations) occurs in people who suffer from a number of different diagnoses (i.e. schizophrenia, depression). Below are some symptoms and definitions that may indicate that a student is suffering from a serious mental health disorder and needs professional help.

  • Delusions are false beliefs about external reality that are firmly sustained despite what everyone else believes and despite obvious proof or evidence to the contrary. Delusions can be of different types including bizarre (extremely weird), grandiose ("I am Christ"), jealous (believing your sexual partner is unfaithful), persecutory (believing someone is out to get you), reference (believing someone on TV is sending you specific messages) and somatic ("my brain is turning black").
  • Hallucinations are false sensory perception - hearing, sight, touch, taste and smell - not based on external reality. The two most common hallucinations are auditory (hearing voices) and visual (see people and things that are not really there).
  • Disorganized thoughts and/or speech include unclear, rapid, incoherent and/or tangential thoughts or speech. Speech patterns characterized by leaps from one subject to another (i.e. "School is nice. I like cats") also indicate disorganized thoughts/speech.

Eating Disorders

College students are at a particularly high risk for developing eating disorders, including Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge Eating Disorder, among others. Many aspects of college life contribute to disordered eating, including adjustment difficulties, academic and financial stress, access to unlimited amounts of dining hall food and competition among peers to "look" the best. Listed below are general symptoms of a range of eating disorders.

  • Dramatic weight loss/gain in a relatively short period of time
  • Belief that thinness will bring happiness
  • Using exercise as an excuse to miss out on pleasurable activities
  • Compulsive exercising or exercising when physically exhausted
  • Not eating or eating when not physically hungry
  • Food restriction and self starvation, lying about eating habits
  • Binging (eating large quantities of food at once) and/or purging (throwing up, exercising excessively or using laxatives)
  • Body hatred, constantly complaining about appearance
  • Mood swings, depression, fatigue
  • Low self-esteem, feeling worthless, complaining about being too fat
  • Obsession with calories, fat and/or weight, categorizing food as "good" or "bad", feeling out of control around food
  • Insomnia, poor sleeping habits
  • Hair loss, dizziness, headaches, lack of concentration
  • Loss of menstrual cycle
  • Perfectionist personality; unrealistic or idealistic self-standards