North Carolina A&T State University is committed to
SELECTED SOURCES FOR ASSISTANCE
(Please call any of these offices for consultation.)
equality of educational opportunity and does not dis-
criminate against applicants, students or employees
Counseling For
based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender,
age or disability. 5,000 copies of this public document
College Success
were printed at a cost of .33 per copy.
ON-CAMPUS RESOURCES:
Counseling Services............................ 334-7727
Student Affairs.................................... 334-7696
F ACULTY
Dean of Students................................. 334-7791 & S TAFF
Veteran & Disability Student Affairs . 334-7765 G UIDE FOR
University Police ................................ 334-7675
A SSISTING
Sebastian Health Center...................... 334-7880
OFF-CAMPUS RESOURCES:
S TUDENTS
Moses Cone Behavioral Health Center
24-hour crisis assistance ..................... 832-4821
Victims of Violence Crisis Line What to do
24-hour assistance............................... 273-7273
when you think
Please don’t hesitate to use all the resources avail-
able to you. Disruptive student behavior has a
negative impact on everyone who witnesses it.
a student may be
Being proactive and directly confronting disrup-
tive behavior can enhance student learning.
in crisis ...
Division of Student Affairs
Office of Counseling Services
North Carolina Agricultural and Division of Student Affairs
Technical State University
1601 East Market Street Office of Counseling Services
109 Murphy Hall
Greensboro, North Carolina 27411
North Carolina Agricultural and
Technical State University
Our cooperative efforts can make Telephone: (336) 334-7727 1601 East Market Street
a world of difference. FAX: (336) 334-7284 109 Murphy Hall
Website: www.ncat.edu/~counsel/ Greensboro, North Carolina 27411
RECOGNIZING AND ASSISTING SIGNS OF DISTRESS GUIDELINES FOR INTERVENTION
STUDENTS IN DISTRESS
Faculty/Staff members are in an Students sometimes experience a great deal of • Take these signs seriously, consult with
excellent position to act as the stress (with issues of relationships, academics, Counseling Services, 334-7727 or the Dean
eyes and ears of the Counseling finances, grief and loss, etc.) during their college of Students, 334-7791.
Services Office in recognizing matriculation. Many times the stress experienced
behaviors changes in students by students are a part of their developmental • Request to see the student in private (if both
who are in potential emotional stages of life. College life creates a number of feel comfortable).
trouble or in crisis. You may adjustments for students—leaving home, becom-
• Acknowledge your observations.
observe that at certain times of ing acclimated to a different living environment,
the year, students experience many have to share rooms with strangers when • Listen carefully to the student’s concern,
increased anxiety. A student’s they have been accustomed to having a room of without agreeing or disagreeing.
behavior, especially if it is incon- their own, adjusting to a new and different learn-
sistent with your previous obser- ing environment and to teachers who have differ- • Tell what you have observed and what is
vations could well constitute an ent teaching styles and all of this coupled with concerning you.
attempt to draw attention to a cry being challenged with independent and new found
• Comment only on what you have observed
for help. Therefore you play a freedom. Some students cope with these pres-
and not your interpretation/judgment.
vital role in helping students “get sures, while others become overwhelmed. Typi-
back on track” and cope with the cally, emotional distress is a barrier to good aca- • Engage your involvement as much as you
situations they encounter. demic performance and social interactions. feel comfortable.
However, some students display observable signs • Refer the student to one of the professional
that may indicate major mental illness or serious staff in Counseling Services.
psychological problems.
• Follow NC A&T State University proce-
• Academic Indicators—Notable decline in dure.
grades/academic performance, missed assign- • Recognize an urgent situation (one in which
ments, late work, difficulty with concentra- the student’s basic safety or that of others is
tion in class. jeopardized).
• Emotional Indicators—Withdrawn, tearful- Examples: Suicidal intentions, eating disor-
ness, unprovoked anger/hostility. ders, chemical addiction, serious threat
from another person (including dating part-
• Physical Indicators—Lack of personal hy- ner). If you have concern for the student’s
giene, excessive fatigue, coming to class/ immediate safety, stay with the student and
meetings while intoxicated or high on drugs. call Campus Police immediately.
(This is a serious sign of drug or alcohol • Set expectations. (Use syllabus to provide
abuse.) students with clear expectations and ways to
This project is funded by a mini-grant from address problems early in the semester).
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services • Safety Risk Indicators—Written/verbal in-
Administration (SAMHSA), administered by dications of finality, suicide tone and ges-
The Morehouse School of Medicine, tures.
Historically Black Colleges & Universities—
National Resource Center (HBCU-NRC)