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HOW TO RECOGNIZE AND SHARE CONCERNING BEHAVIOR. MARYANN RAYBUCK, LCSW OFFICE OF STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH AND BEHAVIOR. IS IT JUST STRESS?. When is it more than stress and becomes concerning behavior? Are you seeing a marked deterioration in the individual’s academic performance?
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HOW TO RECOGNIZE AND SHARE CONCERNING BEHAVIOR MARYANN RAYBUCK, LCSW OFFICE OF STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH AND BEHAVIOR
IS IT JUST STRESS? When is it more than stress and becomes concerning behavior? • Are you seeing a marked deterioration in the individual’s academic performance? • Have you begun to worry about the individual’s emotional state of mind? • Do you have concerns about the individual’s safety or the safety of others? • Does the behavior cause you to worry or to feel distress?
TYPES OF BEHAVIORS THAT MAY INDICATE SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES • Extreme emotional reactions • Emotional withdrawal or isolation • Physical indicators such as excessive fatigue, weight changes, drunkenness, or noticeable injuries • Concerning communications • Poor or deteriorating school performance
EXAMPLES OF EXTREME EMOTIONS Displaying emotions that are: • Inappropriate for the situation • More exaggerated or erratic than normal (i.e. extremely withdrawn, agitated, or animated) • Aggressive (i.e. resentful, irritable, abrasive, aggressive, hostile, frustrated) • Depressive (i.e. tearful, hypersensitive, inability to cope, feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness)
EXAMPLES OF AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR • Physical confrontation • Bullying • Intimidation/Threats (verbal or nonverbal) • Controlling behavior, including possessiveness/stalking
DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS • Tearfulness/ Irritation • Decline in personal hygiene • Deterioration in school performance • Withdrawal from friends and family • Repeated absences • Expressions of hopelessness/despair
INDICATORS OF DISTURBANCE • Hallucinations (Aural or visual) • Persecutory beliefs. • Bizarre/ irrational thinking or behavior. • Profound withdrawal or lack of expression (flat affect). • Extremely animated or agitated.
CONCERNING COMMUNICATIONS • Inappropriate/disturbing verbal or written communications . • Communication suggesting delusion, obsession, or a preoccupation with weapons or violence. • Language suggesting abuse/ suicide ideation/coercion/desperation.
The Power of You Staff & Faculty are frequently in the best position to notice and report student behavior. Reporting low level concerns allows for intervention before a behavior becomes more serious The events at Virginia Tech, Penn State, and Aurora demonstrate the importance of sharing your concerns as they arise.
EMERGENCIES When an individual • Is expressing a direct threat to themselves or others, • is acting in a bizarre and disconnected manner, • Or becomes highly agitated and irrational, TAKE STEPS TO ENSURE YOUR SAFETY AND CALL CAMPUS POLICE!
EXPLORING YOUR CONCERNS • Address the situation on a more personal level. • Be nonjudgmental. • Gently voice your concerns. • Ask questions. • Offer validation or assistance. • Share information in a NOVACARES report.
NOVACARES • You are asked to report concerning behavior on the NOVACares website. • Reports may be filed anonymously • Concerns about students are forwarded to your campus CARE team. • Your report enables NOVA to assess risk and flags individuals with multiple behavior reports across multiple campuses.
CAMPUS CARE TEAMS • A CARE team on every campus. • Responds to the concerns of faculty, staff and student • Assesses risk level • Develops and oversees the implementation of a response plan • CARE Team Members: Coordinator of Counseling (chair), Police, Student Services, and Faculty
WHY REPORT? • Prevents silos of information within departments and/or campuses. • Increases the safety of our College. • Encourages a way to consistently respond to individuals of concern. • Allows us to identify individuals in need who might otherwise be overlooked.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES • 2-1-1 VIRGINIA : Finds social service resources for your area • U-LIFELINE: A screening tool and mental health reference library. • Recognizing and Responding to Students In Distress : A Faculty Handbook www.campussuicidepreventionva.org/facultyhandbook/
YOU ARE THE EYES AND EARS OF NOVA’S MENTAL HEALTHSHARE YOUR CONCERNS