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.
- JMU Police (540-568-6912—non-emergency)