Spring Break
Dean's panel looks to help distressed students
Mental and emotional assistance will help students, campus
By: Cody Calamaio
Issue date: 2/27/08 Section: News
How to identify a student who is mentally or emotionally distressed was the topic of a panel discussion held yesterday by the Dean of Students Office.
A panel of experts representing the Dean of Students Office, Counseling and Psychological Services, Life and Work Connections, the University of Arizona Police Department and the University Attorney's Office, led a discussion about issues related to distressed students and what the university can and should do to help them and protect the campus.
The panel was held at the Student Union Memorial Center in the Kiva Room.
Veda Kowalski, assistant dean of students, said the purpose of the discussion was to add the greater community to the team of people already addressing the issues of distressed students.
The group reviewed signs and symptoms of distressed students and how to respond with methods of intervention if faculty, advisors and staff are working with such students.
"We want to establish what the early warning signs are," Kowalski said.
Marian Binder, director of Counseling and Psychological Services, said behavior changes and academic warning signs should tip off people working with students, and should be used to initiate a dialogue and educate the student on the boundaries of what is acceptable.
One of the things discussed was the difference between mental health and behavioral issues.
"It's about what they're doing and what they're saying," Kowalski said.
"We try to educate people on the other side on the impact of their behavior," Binder said. "Its not always a clear-cut case."
They also discussed what happens in the case of an emergency similar to Virginia Tech.
"There's not a simple answer," said
Anthony Daykin, chief of police for UAPD. "The root of the answer is knowing these things ahead of time (and) what needs to be considered."
Daykin said his goal was to have better campus-wide education on emergency response.
A panel of experts representing the Dean of Students Office, Counseling and Psychological Services, Life and Work Connections, the University of Arizona Police Department and the University Attorney's Office, led a discussion about issues related to distressed students and what the university can and should do to help them and protect the campus.
The panel was held at the Student Union Memorial Center in the Kiva Room.
Veda Kowalski, assistant dean of students, said the purpose of the discussion was to add the greater community to the team of people already addressing the issues of distressed students.
The group reviewed signs and symptoms of distressed students and how to respond with methods of intervention if faculty, advisors and staff are working with such students.
"We want to establish what the early warning signs are," Kowalski said.
Marian Binder, director of Counseling and Psychological Services, said behavior changes and academic warning signs should tip off people working with students, and should be used to initiate a dialogue and educate the student on the boundaries of what is acceptable.
One of the things discussed was the difference between mental health and behavioral issues.
"It's about what they're doing and what they're saying," Kowalski said.
"We try to educate people on the other side on the impact of their behavior," Binder said. "Its not always a clear-cut case."
They also discussed what happens in the case of an emergency similar to Virginia Tech.
"There's not a simple answer," said
Anthony Daykin, chief of police for UAPD. "The root of the answer is knowing these things ahead of time (and) what needs to be considered."
Daykin said his goal was to have better campus-wide education on emergency response.
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