Helping a Student In Distress

Helping a Student In Distress

Yale College has a breadth of resources for students who may be in distress. An immediate point of contact should always be the student’s residential college dean, even if you are only copying them or alerting them after an incident, keeping the student’s residential college dean apprised is extremely helpful. You can find a listing of residential college deans here. If you are unsure which residential college a student is in, you can always forward the information to YC Dean on Call email address and it will be routed to the appropriate dean. One may also reach the YC Dean on Call via phone at 203-432-2990 as well.

Quick Navigation

How do I know if a student is in distress or a crisis and how can I be of help?

Students can become distressed for a variety reasons including, but not limited to– increased responsibility, tensions with family members or significant others, a recent traumatic or upsetting experience, a recurrence of grief. And of course, academic and social pressures and general lack of sleep as they strive to meet their many obligations is also a recurring theme. Some of these stressors can become overwhelming and hard to manage, in turn posing a serious threat to a student’s overall functioning. The expression of interest and concern from a faculty or staff member has time and again proven invaluable in helping a struggling student regain their equilibrium.

If a student is feeling distressed please do lean on the many support systems in Yale College

You can gauge the persons sense of safety by asking some of the following questions:

  • Are you feeling safe?
  • Do you have people in your life who you feel comfortable talking to?
  • Are there things you enjoy doing that help you feel better?
  • What are your plans for today/tomorrow?

Warning Signs – Feelings and Words

  • Hopelessness
  • Unexpected rage
  • Sadness
  • Extreme calm following depressive signs
  • Joking about death, dying, harm
  • Suicidal ideation

Warning Signs - Behaviors

  • Isolation
    • Limited social support
  • Not attending to Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s)
    • Sleep, eating, personal hygiene
  • Not engaging in hobbies/activities
  • Increase in substance use
  • Self-injurious behaviors

Other things to look for

  • Changes in academic performance
  • Changes in class attendance and group participation
  • Social withdrawal
  • Requesting special accommodations (submitting work late, postponing an exam)

State and federal laws and University policies mandate reporting in many crisis situations. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) allows faculty and staff to report student health and safety concerns to relevant campus officers who are trained to handle situations with sensitivity and care. Taking appropriate action does not violate a student’s privacy.

 

Urgent Matters

Mental Health and Counseling

For urgent concerns after hours, any student can ask to speak to the on-call clinician, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by calling 203-432-0290

Medication Consultations and Management at Mental Health and Counseling

Psychiatrists are available if medication is part of your treatment. They provide consultations and on-going medication management. This may be in conjunction with individual therapy, group therapy, or on its own.

Yale Health Mental Health & Counseling provides free, confidential mental health treatment to members of the Yale student community. They offer a wide range of services including individual therapy. During your first visit you will have the chance to speak to one of their clinicians about your main concerns, your history and your goals for treatment. After discussing your preferences and your treatment options, the two of you will make a plan to begin treatment at Mental Health & Counseling.

Yale College Deputy Title IX Coordinators

University and Deputy Title IX Coordinators are identified as individuals who are available to consult with members of the community about their concerns and questions related to sex- or gender-based discrimination or sexual misconduct. By disclosing a concern to a Deputy Title IX Coordinator, they can help you review options, identify and implement supportive measures, and connect individuals with other campus resources. Disclosing a concern to a Deputy Title IX Coordinator is not the same as bringing a complaint with the University, and supportive measures may be requested without filing a complaint.

Yale College’s Discrimination and Harassment Resource Coordinators

Deans Melanie Boyd and Burgwell Howard have been identified by the Dean of Yale College as community members with the responsibility to receive concerns and offer advice and guidance related to diversity and inclusion, discrimination and harassment, retaliation, and equal opportunity. Discrimination and Harassment Resource Coordinators may also help facilitate informal resolution. While may be an individual’s best “first stop” in discussing a concern related to discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. Students can also file a report directly via the online reporting form.

 

Non-Urgent Matters

Yale College Community Care (YC3)

Yale College Community Care, also known as YC3, offers students an array of support services ranging from meeting with Community Wellness Specialists (CWS) to explore concerns related to sleep health, time management, and mindfulness. YC3 also has licensed clinicians who are able to conduct intake sessions as well as providing intermittent therapy as a student awaits being paired with a provider from Yale Mental Health or elsewhere.

Chaplain’s Office

Located in the basement of Bingham Hall on Old Campus, the Chaplains’ Office offers students access to both a welcoming space that stays stocked with ice cream in addition to chaplains from a variety of religious and spiritual traditions. The Chaplains are available for confidential support and care on matters ranging from bereavement and grief, adjusting to college, building and maintaining relationships, practicing one’s faith in a campus setting, and more. Students need not identify as religious/spiritual to speak with a chaplain.

Call 203.432.1128 to make an appointment or feel free to reach out to any of the chaplains by email. You can also sign up directly to Chat with a Chaplain. Chaplains are available Monday – Friday from 9am – 5pm.

The Cultural Centers

The cultural centers at Yale serve as gathering places for communities of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The centers foster a sense of cultural identity, encourage student leadership, facilitate critical reflection, and stimulate informed action and social justice advocacy. They also act as social hubs and community bases for students, supplementing the social environment of the larger Yale College community.

Founded in 1969, the Afro-American Cultural Center was Yale College’s first cultural center. Referred to as the House, it served as a model then for La Casa Cultural de Julia de Burgos, the Latino Cultural Center in 1977 and later the Asian American Cultural Center and the Native American Cultural Center. The centers also include a peer led support program for students called the peer liaisons.

Cultural Center Websites

First Generation Low-Income Community Initiative

As First-Generation and Low-Income students continue emerging as a larger portion of Yale College’s student body, the college has sought to develop ways to address the particular needs of these students. The FGLI Community Initiative is the hub for many of these resources including SafetyNet, the portal through which students can apply for emergency funding to address unanticipated expenses.

Yale LGBTQ Center

The Yale LGBTQ Center is one of over 375 networked LGBTQ Community Centers across the United States and beyond. We work to maintain a coalition of LGBTQ organizations across the university campus and within the community. Our mission is to support and empower students, faculty, staff, and alumni of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions to strengthen and unite our Yale University community. We accomplish this through a variety of community, education, and advocacy initiatives

Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS)

International students sometimes encounter very unique challenges, often related to visas, taxes and employment verification, and establishing amenities such as banking and a cell phone in the United States. OISS helps attend to the specific needs of this community with a wide range of resources.

Slifka Center

Slifka Center nurtures Jewish life at Yale, cultivating cultural, spiritual, religious, and intellectual experiences that enrich the lives of Yale students in a way that endures. At the Slifka Center, students’ physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being are the most important values – and thus the first priority of our clergy team. We are all available to any students regardless of affiliation or denomination. Whether you find yourself at a crossroads in life, looking to make sense of a complex relationship, in search of wisdom from the Jewish tradition, or hoping to connect to professional mental health resources – we encourage you to reach out and look forward to meeting with you.

The Good Life Center

With sites at the Schwarzmann Center, Silliman College, and Student Accessibility Services, The Good Life Center has established itself as Yale College’s student wellness hub. Working with staff and peer counselors, Yale College students are afforded opportunities for wellness-related meetups, peer-to-peer support and professional coaching that seeks to empower students with evidence-based skills for fostering mental, physical, social and emotional well-being.