Responding to Students in Distress

Facilitates Staff in building a knowledge base in the following areas:
The nature of student distress nationally and within their specific institutions.
How to recognise students in distress.
The range of resources and support services within colleges and in the communitywith which students may be linked with depending on their needs.
Clarifying the scope and limits of their role when responding to vulnerable students.
Circumstances when confidentiality should be maintained and broken.

Develop skills for communicating with distressed students including:
Communication skills for responding effectively to students
Identifying barriers to communication
Referring a student to counselling or other mental health services
Suggestions for coping if a student denies there is a problem
Helping students overcome resistance to seeking professional support
Exercise in responding to a range of scenarios with which distressed students present