Help is available for troubled students

Peter LeViness, director of Counseling and Psychological Services, wants everyone on campus to know that help is available for students who are having psychological problems. In fact, he and other members of CAPS, Student Development and University Police have met with at least 17 offices, departments and other groups on campus to discuss the University’s response to troubled students, and they plan to visit more.

Their mission was made a high priority after the April 16 shootings at Virginia Tech by a student who had been diagnosed with a psychological condition but did not receive all the help he needed.

“Anyone—including faculty, staff, students and parents—who has a concern about a particular student is strongly encouraged to relay those concerns as soon as possible to the appropriate dean’s office for that student,” says LeViness.

The offices or contact people include the Westhampton College dean’s office (for undergraduate women), the Richmond College dean’s office (for undergraduate men), Kathy Hoke (for A&S graduate students), Kris Henderson (for law students), Arlene Davis (for MBA students) and Sandra Kirkland or Ned Swartz (for SCS students).

Exceptions to the request to call the deans’ offices include students who are medically at risk or grossly impaired or who seem to be in imminent risk of engaging in violent behavior (toward self or others). LeViness says in such situations to call University Police, who will assist in getting the student to an appropriate hospital setting.

When a student is referred to the dean’s office because of a psychological problem, “the dean’s staff is able to integrate that information into everything else known about the student,” says LeViness. A variety of actions could take place, including:

• Nothing further recommended
• Recommend that student seek counseling or health services; student decides whether to follow recommendation; no follow-up requested or needed
• Strongly encourage student to seek help from CAPS or health services and request authorization to be notified when student follows through
• Mandate that student be evaluated for risk to self or others or gross impairment to care for self

If a student is evaluated by CAPS and his or her functioning is found to be significantly impaired or there is imminent risk to the student or others, “hospitalization and/or medical withdrawal from school may be warranted so that the student can get appropriate treatment and return to school when health and functioning are improved,” says LeViness.  

He says that in extreme situations “where the student is unwilling to take a voluntary medical withdrawal,” University officials might impose an involuntary withdrawal from the University or University housing.
Students who withdraw for psychological reasons must submit documentation from the psychiatrist, psychologist or physician who has been treating them before the dean’s office, in consultation with CAPS or health services, will allow them to re-enroll.

Involuntary commitment also is an option for an unwilling student in extreme situations, LeViness says, but that involves city or county mental health workers and usually police.

LeViness says that in situations where a potential threat of harm exists, a Threat Assessment Team, with representatives from the appropriate dean’s office, University Police, Student Health and CAPS, will meet to discuss the situation, gather additional information, as needed, and decide on the best option for responding. “Other faculty, staff and administrators may be asked to participate, depending on the nature of the situation and their relationship to the student,” says LeViness.

LeViness said, “In the vast majority of situations, sharing concerns about a student with the appropriate dean’s office will simply enable the University to initiate a caring response and help a distressed student access appropriate sources of help.  In those rare cases involving serious threat of harm to others, the timely relaying of concerns to the dean’s office may help avert a potential tragedy.”

Anyone concerned about a faculty member should contact the provost or dean of the appropriate school. Concerns about a staff member should be directed to human resources services.