Helping a Student in Emotional Distress

You may choose to deal with the person solely on their disruptive or ineffective behavior. This may work, but if the person continues to be disruptive or ineffective our hope is that you would seek further help for them.

You may choose to deal with the person on a more emotional and personal level. Feel free to call a counselor at Student Counseling for advice. There is no need for us to know your name or the person's name. We can simply offer you advice over the phone. If anonymity is not an issue we can meet with you in our or your office to discuss the problem.

If you are a member of the faculty or staff at UMM, you might be interested in information to assisting students in distress: http://www.ucs.umn.edu/help/.

A Few Key Tips

* Talk to the person in private when both of you are not rushed.
* Listen empathetically to what the person is saying.
* Maintain the person's self-esteem and remain nonjudgemental.
* Identify the problem and then mutually problem solve.
* Establish a specific plan of action.
* Follow up, reinforce and encourage, establish consequences.

In An Emergency

* Remain calm and ensure your personal safety.
* Use a low and controlled tone of voice.
* Seek assistance.
* If possible, stay with the person at all times until help arrives.

You can always call a counselor in Student Counseling (ext. 6060) or 911 for emergency help.