Working with Distressed or Disruptive Students

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Working with Distressed or Disruptive Students

• Kristi Casey-Hart, M.S., LAPC
• Counseling and Career Services
• Ofc 706-272-4430 or 4429
• jhart_at_daltonstate.edu

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Faculty and Staff Resources

• Counseling and Career Services (x4430 or 4429)
• Counseling therapy
• Crisis intervention
• Incident Review Committee (IRC)
• Additional measure for campus safety
• Reviews student behavioral incidences that may or
  may not be violations of Code of Conduct
• Public Safety (x4461)
• Tutoring and Peer Instruction (x4429 or 4573)
• Jody Trost Coordinates

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Preventing Classroom Disruptions
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The Learning Environment Establishing
Expectations

• Explain the importance of classroom culture and
  norms
• Define expectations in the course syllabus
• Discuss and clarify
• Be consistent
• Introduce expectations early and model the
  desired behaviors
• Language
• Punctuality
• Respect
• Consult about the scope and enforcement of
  expectations

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Self-Care for Faculty/Staff

• Be aware of your limitations and when you may
  benefit from assistance
• Make use of campus and community resources
• Consult with others, e.g., faculty, staff,
  administrators, counselors, public safety
• Review the experience and make a follow up plan
  with supervisor/consultant
• Document interactions

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• Recognizing and Responding to Distressed and
  Disruptive Students

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The Challenge of Change

• Persons experience periods of increased stress
  when challenges related to decisions, goals and
  relationships arise. Often these experiences are
  accompanied by thoughts and emotions which
  produce sadness, anxiety, frustration, anger, and
  confusion
• These periods of adjustment are often resolved
  with renewed perspectives on life, study, and
  work when appropriate support and help are given.

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The Challenge of Change

• Persistent sadness, anger, confusion, and
  isolating behaviors may indicate a deepening
  concern and need for consultation
• The goal of supportive intervention is to provide
  the assistance necessary to help the student
  re-establish equilibrium

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Recognizing the Mild or Moderately Troubled
Student

• Mildly troubled students
• Behaviors do not necessarily disrupt others but
  indicate something may be troubling the student.
• Decrease in achievement and motivation
• Increased absences
• Difficulties with concentration and focus
• Marked changes in interaction patterns with
  instructor and peers (e.g., avoidance,
  dependency)
• Altered mood states, sadness, anxiety,
  irritability, lethargy
• Fatigue and sleeping in class
• Missed deadlines or incomplete work
• Diminished self-care including poor hygiene

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Mild or Moderately Distressed Students

• Moderately troubled students may
• Exhibit more significant changes in mood and
  behavior
• Display rapid changes in mood
• Make repeated requests for special consideration
  or adjustment to academic requirements
• Express emotions more intensely, particularly
  when related to requests to relax academic
  responsibilities
• May behave in ways that are mildly disruptive
• e.g. - angry outbursts, walking out, failing to
  collaborate, attacking the opinions of others

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Helping the Mildly or Moderately Distressed
Student

• Work with the student on an individual level
• Address specific behaviors that represent
  infractions of classroom expectations provide
  corrective and formative feedback
• Reiterate expectations and consequences
• Refer the student to campus resources (e.g.,
  Counseling and Career Srvcs, Peer Tutoring, etc.)
• Document your intervention and be sure to follow
  up
• Consult with others whenever needed

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Recognizing the Severely Distressed and
Disruptive Student

• The Severely Troubled/Disruptive Student
• May be less likely to accept help and may view
  efforts to assist as intrusive and unwanted
• Exhibit more intense expression of emotions with
  little regard for classroom expectations or
  deference to the role of instructor
• Reflect poor self-care and demonstrate a lack of
  empathy for others
• Regularly fail to attend class, be tardy and
  communicate a heightened sense of entitlement
• Be verbally antagonistic to peers/instructor

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Recognizing the Severely Distressed and
Disruptive Student

• Be unwilling to collaborate with team members and
  resist assuming responsibility
• Have difficulty communicating, slurred speech or
  confused content
• Exhibit a confused sense of reality or be highly
  suspicious of others
• Engage in stalking behaviors or inappropriate
  forms of contact such as veiled or threatening
  e-mails
• Be hyper-vigilant and reactive to others
  opinions
• Make veiled or overt references to suicidal or
  homicidal thoughts (May be in oral and written
  formats)

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Responding to the Severely Distressed and
Disruptive Student

• Attend to your safety needs
• Have someone meet the student with you
• Meet in an area where resources are available to
  you
• Use consultation resources
• Supervisor/Chair/Dean
• Counseling and Career Services
• Vice President for Enrollment Services
• If you think the student may become aggressive,
  contact Public Safety (706-272-4461) and have
  them present

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Responding to the Severely Distressed and
Disruptive Student

• If the student is agitated and/or a threatening
  to harm themselves or others
• Maintain a safe distance
• Attempt to maintain a calm demeanor and assume a
  non-threatening posture
• Avoid escalation by keeping your voice low and
  calm
• If you are in danger - make every effort to
  extract yourself from the room and contact Public
  Safety (706-272-4461)
• If you are not in danger stay with the student
  until help arrives

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Responding to the Severely Distressed and
Disruptive Student

• If the student is able to discuss the problem and
  does not pose an imminent threat
• Accept what the student says and convey an
  attitude of sincerity
• Avoid promising confidentiality
• Focus on an aspect of the problem that can be
  managed
• Clarify what needs to be changed
• Explore what has worked successfully in the past
• Make constructive suggestions but avoid making
  promises
• Identify options and resources

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Responding to the Severely Distressed and
Disruptive Student

• Encourage the student to use campus resources
• Respect the students perspectives and avoid
  making judgments
• Dont be afraid to ask if s/he is considering
  suicide Often the person is looking for someone
  to notice their suffering.
• If yes, referral is absolutely necessary. See
  flowchart for Imminent Danger of Self-Harm
• Document your experience and plan for follow up

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Helping the Suicidal Person

• If you think the student may be suicidal
• Be familiar with Suicide Guidelines and Flowchart
• Listen empathetically, give the student time to
  talk
• Ask the question
• Are you thinking about killing yourself
• Are you thinking about not wanting to live
• Encourage the student to get help
• Refer to campus and community resources
• Counseling (x4430)
• After Hours call Public Safety (x4461)
• Document your experience and plan for follow up

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When Referring

• The best referral involves walking the person to
  Counseling and Career Services.
• The next best referral is getting a commitment
  from them to accept help, then have them call
  Counseling and Career Services to make an
  appointment or speak to a counselor.
• The third best referral is to prepare a
  Counseling and Career Services Referral Form and
  try to get a good faith agreement that student
  will seek assistance.
• Follow Up with the person within a few days.
• If after hours, use the Imminent Danger of Self
  Harm Flow Chart

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Incident Review Committee

• A Resource for Faculty, Staff, and Students

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Incident Review Committee (IRC)

• Evaluate and Address incidents of aberrant,
  dangerous, or threatening behavior that involve
  members of the campus community
• Designed to help identify persons whose behavior
  potentially endanger their own or others health
  and safety
• Different than Disciplinary Committee DC
  reviews reports of violations to student code of
  conduct

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Incident Review Committee

• An incident can be defined as
• An occurrence that involves a member of the
  campus community who is exhibiting specific
  behaviors that results in another member of the
  campus community being alarmed, distressed and/or
  disturbed.
• Any occurrence within the campus community that
  has the potential to produce significant anxiety,
  fear, shock, or grief to individuals.

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Incident Review Committee

• The IRC is NOT designed to respond or manage a
  CRISIS
• A CRISIS is as a situation where there is an
  active or immediate risk of violence to self or
  others
• If there is an imminent risk of violence to self
  or others, contact Public Safety immediately at
  706-272-4461

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Report to the IRC

• Speech or writing that is threatening, violent,
  disturbing or bizarre in content
• Physical or verbal aggression or anger problems
• Stalking/Harassment
• Acting out/Disruptive behavior
• Fascination with weapons
• Interest in previous school shootings
• Unusual interest in police, military, terrorist
  activities and materials
• SUICIDIAL/HOMICIDAL THOUGHTS
• Any observed behavior or verifiable information
  that causes significant concern

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Refer to Counseling

• SUICIDAL OR HOMICIDAL THOUGHTS/IDEATION
• Anxiousness, depression, feeling overwhelmed
• Test or math anxiety
• Self harming behaviors
• Distressed behavior (crying)

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How to Report to IRC

• Complete the Incident Review Report Form
• Access the PDF file online at http//www.daltonsta
  te.edu/ar/career/
• Print and fill out the form.
• Seal the form in an envelope and mark
  CONFIDENTIAL.
• Send through campus mail or hand deliver to
• Kristi-Casey Hart, Academic Resources OR
• Jodi Johnson, Enrollment Services

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For Reporting Assistance, Contact

• Kristi-Casey Hart
• Ext. 4429
• jhart_at_daltonstate.edu
• Jodi Johnson
• Ext. 4463
• jjohnson_at_daltonstate.edu

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Referral to Counseling

• Walk the student to the Counseling office if
  student is in obvious distress
• Use the Counseling and Career Services Referral
  Form (see guidebook) for formal referrals
• Call the Counseling office if you are ever in
  doubt

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Safety Suggestions

• Always keep your cell phone with you, even in
  class.
• Have the number to Public Safety programmed into
  your phone [phone])
• Remember to register on ConnectEd!

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• INCIDENT REVIEW GUIDEBOOK
• AVAILABLE AT
• http//www.daltonstate.edu/ar/career/