Madison Cares: Information To Include In Your Referral
It is helpful to have detailed and accurate information when referring so that our office can best meet the needs of the student.
Before You Refer:
- Address the behavior immediately
- Use a calm, non-confrontational, and caring approach
- Communicate your concern for their wellness and academic success
- Provide the space and allow the student to share what is concerning them
- If it is disruptive behavior, reiterate any expectations
- Acknowledge the student's emotions when repeating their perception of the problem
- Refer students to campus resources
This list is not all inclusive or comprehensive. It should be used as a guide. If you are unsure of what to report and you are concerned, please contact someone.
ACADEMIC INDICATORS
- Decline in quality of work or grades
- Repeated absences
- Disorganized thinking in writing or presentations
- Repeated requests for extensions
- Overly demanding of faculty/staff time and attention
- Conduct that interferes with classroom engagement
- Bizarre content in writings or presentations
- Meetings with the student are dominated by personal content rather than educational matters
PHYSICAL INDICATORS
- Marked changes in physical appearance (i.e. grooming, hygiene, and weight loss/gain)
- Excessive fatigue, listlessness
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Intoxication, hang over, smelling of alcohol
- Disoriented, “out of it”, or forgetful
- Garbled, rambling, tangential, disconnected, or slurred speech
- Behavior out of context
- Strange ideas/beliefs or paranoia
- Isolation or withdrawal
PSYCHOLOGICAL INDICATORS
- Excessive self-disclosure of personal distress, losses, family problems, or financial difficulties
- Withdrawal or agitation
- Unusual/disproportional emotional response to events
- Excessive tearfulness, panic reactions, inability, or apathy
- Antagonistic and impulsive behavior
- Verbally abusive (e.g. taunting, badgering, intimidation)
- Expressions of concern about the student by his/her peers
- Loss of pleasure
- Major shifts in mood
- Recent major stressor such as loss of loved one, relationship break-up, etc.
SAFETY RISK INDICATORS
- Suicidal
- Para-suicidal (extreme harm to self)
- Substance abuse or other risk taking behaviors
- Hostile, aggressive, relationally abusive
- Deficient in skills that regulate emotion, cognition, self, behavior, and relationships
- Covert and overt actions of threatening harm, violence, or death to others or themselves
- Anger or hostility
Unsure? Contact:
- University Staff
- Dean of Students (540-568-6468)
- Counseling Center (540-568-6552)
- Treatment recommendations and/or referral information during walk in hours from 10am-3pm Monday-Friday.
- Public Safety (540-568-6912—non-emergency)