Student Services - Services for Staff

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers a free counselling service to UWA staff and their families for personal or work related problems.

Managers Hotline Service provides telephone consultations for managers and supervisors.

Mental Health Concerns: Guidelines for Staff

One in five Australians may experience a mental illness at some time in their life. Like physical illness, mental illness can be episodic. With appropriate treatment and support the impact of the illness can be lessened allowing full participation at university. As members of the UWA community we have the responsibility to be aware of potential mental health concerns on campus.

Mental illnesses include anxiety and depression as well as less common mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and personality disorders.

Signs to look for - is the student

less expressive or more withdrawn than usual?
less communicative or difficult to engage in conversation?
displaying inappropriate or disruptive behaviour?
confused or having difficulty concentrating?

Your role

These guidelines assist you to identify distressed students, and provide a series of steps to follow in order to address issues in an open manner.

A number of things may raise concerns about student wellbeing, and you may be able to offer assistance through your contact with them. You don't have a responsibility to assist the student in the management of their health, but when something is impacting on the student - or those around them - you do have a responsibility to identify what may be happening and take steps to ensure the situation is addressed.

Steps to take are

1. Ask the student who else they have told about their current situation. If they have told a family member or health professional direct them to this person.

2. Refer them to the Counselling and Psychological Service or Medical Centre if their problems are beyond your role as an academic, faculty or general staff member.

3. If the situation is urgent either ask the student to contact one of the crisis services or call yourself for immediate assistance. It is always essential to provide the student with 24 hour contact details if they are in a crisis situation.

It may seem initially that it is easiest to do nothing and hope that this situation rectifies itself. In some instances this does occur, but these are rare. Almost invariably, when you notice something is amiss and do nothing, the potential for the situation to become more complex and impact upon more people (including yourself) increases significantly. So when you notice that something is not quite right with a student, these guidelines provide a framework for taking an active role.

In a number of cases, approaching the student to gently find out whether something is amiss is in itself a solution. The student may not be aware of the things that you have noticed or not realise that their behaviour is having an impact on those around them. In some cases your interest and involvement may be the first step in a number of other things that assist the student address their concerns.
Remembering that your role is not one of counsellor or confidant, you can point the student to professional help and encourage them to do something active to overcome the things that are troubling them. Your role is to assist the student seek appropriate help.
In other cases, a student may approach you and disclose that they have a condition that could impact upon their wellbeing as well as their behaviour in the teaching environment. Again, it is not your role to manage this condition but to get a better understanding of how it may impact upon the student and those around them.

These guidelines provide a means of bringing your concerns to the attention of the student in an open and straightforward manner and making clear your expectations.

Dealing with distressed students

Listen and clarify what the student's situation is
Find out if the student has support - ie family, friends or professionals who know about the situation
Provide referral points such as counselling - you are not a psychologist
Leave the student with a plan of action (ie to make an appointment to see support services)
Debrief afterwards with a colleague, supervisor or psychologist.

After hours contacts include:

Security 6488 2222

CrisisCare: 136 169

Lifeline: 131 114

Mental Health Emergency Response Line 1300 555 788

When a student discloses a mental illness to you

your primary role is to ensure that the student has appropriate support and accommodations to continue with their study
if you are not sure what to do for a student contact other services to find out

If a student is threatening to commit suicide

Be direct and talk openly
Take the person seriously
Contact a psychologist at the Counselling and Psychological Service
Refer the student to a health professional
You have a duty of care to provide assistance by consulting with others
Debrief afterwards with appropriate staff or a Supervisor

Dealing with disruptive/aggressive students (these instances are rare)

Do not put yourself in a situation which is unsafe (ie leave the door to the office open, let other people know that you are there)
When in doubt call Security
You can remind students that their behaviour or manner is inappropriate
Remove other students from the area if appropriate
Student Discipline statutes can be invoked by senior staff. This can result in students being banned from buildings or suspended from enrolment
If a student threatens to complain it is their right to do so - refer the student to the appropriate authority and the students' grievances procedure http://www.secretariat.uwa.edu.au/home/policies/complaints/students

Duty of care

In general the care that you are required to take is reasonable care in view of reasonably foreseeable circumstances that may arise. When a student is a cause for concern and may have a mental illness, staff need to balance their duty of care towards the student and their well being, and their duty of care to other students and staff. No member of the University should go beyond his or her level of competence in trying to support or advise a student and should refer appropriately.

Safety of students and staff is the first priority in any situation.

Information sharing

When a student discloses that they have personal issues such as a mental illness, confidentiality should be respected unless there is an immediate danger to the person or to others in withholding that information. It is best to ask the students permission before discussing their situation with others.

You can share student information when consulting a mental health professional without identifying the student. The emphasis would be on discussing the student's situation to provide the best outcome for the student.

The university has a number of services that will assist, including:

The Counselling Service is available to consult with staff regarding student or staff-related concerns. Psychologists from the service will discuss with you how best to assist. Your role is to provide assistance with academic progress and refer to specialist services for more complex personal and interpersonal concerns.

It is important not to get involved beyond your area of expertise. If you are uncertain about making a referral, or worried about someone, please feel free to contact the Counselling Service. You can get advice from a psychologist over the phone. Most enquiries will be responded to on the same day; however calls after 3pm may be responded to the following day.

If you are concerned about the seriousness or urgency of a problem you may contact Security. Counselling staff also liaise with Security where appropriate to ensure the safety of others.
Phone: 6488 2423

UniAccess: UWA’s Disability Office UniAccess can provide information, advice and support services to students who have an ongoing illness. Students with a mental illness are eligible for a range of adjustments to the teaching and learning environment that can significantly reduce the impact of that illness on study and enable effective participation in University activities.

Referring students to UniAccess can at times feel awkward, as the word 'disability' can be off-putting to some students who may not identify as having a disability. An effective way of referring students to UniAccess is to provide them with a link to the UniAccess website and contact details and leave it to them to initiate contact.
Phone: 6488 2423

Website: http://www.studentservices.uwa.edu.au/ss/disability

Security

The Security Service is committed to providing a safe environment for staff, students and visitors. Security encourages all staff and students to adopt strategies that both prevent and help deal with situations which put safety at risk. Security prefers potential problems to be identified early and resolved pro-actively, and can advise students or staff about strategies that can reduce the risk of a situation escalating.

Security are accustomed to responding sensitively to situations where University staff and students may feel uncomfortable. Security staff will manage situations in a manner that avoids confrontation or an escalation of the problem. Security have links with the Counselling Service and liaise with a psychologist when appropriate.

If you feel uncomfortable about your involvement with a person who is exhibiting behaviour that is of concern, you are encouraged to contact Security for confidential advice. If you are unsure as to whether it is appropriate to contact Security, you may wish to discuss the situation with a psychologist first. Talking to someone is always preferable to doing nothing when you have a concern.
Phone: 6488 2222
Website: http://www.fm.uwa.edu.au/about/security_safety

Training Courses

Mental Health First Aid: For UWA employees who wish to have a better understanding of mental disorders, and learn how to recognise and provide support to others who may be experiencing mental health issues.

Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training: The half day Gatekeeper Workshop provides participants with a range of skills and knowledge that improve their ability and confidence to identify and refer people at risk of self-harm or suicide.

Information provided with acknowledgement to the University of Melbourne Counselling Service.

Mental Health Facts Source:

Mental Health Council of Australia (2008). Mental Health Fact Sheet: A range of definitions of mental health/illness. Retrieved 3 September 2009 from: http://www.mhca.org.au/documents/EmploymentandMentalHealth.pdf.

Referring a Student Information on how to assist a student access the Counselling Service.