Mental Health stuff for Resident Advisors

1
Mental Health stuff for Resident Advisors

• By Mark Huttemier
• Personal Counselor at UWRF
• Staff Page

2
What is your Counseling Bias?

• (video)

• If you hold negative ideas about help-seeking
  behavior, you will be less likely to suggest
  counseling to your residents.
• Its hard to convince a resident to do something
  that you would be unwilling to do yourself.
• Without even knowing it, you communicate your own
  biases to your resident

3
Why Seek Help?

• Reflect on your personal attitudes about going to
  counseling.
• Recall a time when talking to someone about a
  problem was helpful.
• Acknowledge the connection between personal
  beliefs, attitudes, and actions.

4
Making Referrals

• Remember that trust and perceived closeness are
  critical elements for a students follow through
• Communicate your belief in the students
  competence and autonomy in making his/her own
  decisions
• When we are new to helper roles sometimes we
  overcompensate for our sense of insecurity by
  doing too much
• The goal in helping students is to support them
  in learning that they have the ability to help
  themselves. This means we need to step back and
  check our boundaries

5
Resistance to Counseling

• Even with a resident who is resistant to seeking
  counseling, voicing your concerns brings them
  closer to getting help by planting seeds.
• I am noticing that you (use specific
  examples)..and it really concerns me.
• Choice is important
• Try to offer options from which they can choose
  (e.g. see a doctor, see a counselor, talk to
  family, etc)
• Agree that you want the same thing
• I know you really want to stay in school, what
  are you willing to do to stay here?

6
Resistance continued..

• If they are unwilling to change or to get help,
  ask
• If things dont change in a couple of weeks,
  would you be willing to get help then?
• Set boundaries - allow residents to experience
  the pain or discomfort that will push them to get
  help (its a process) except when their safety is
  concerned
• Take threats against themselves or others
  seriously.
• Do not be afraid to contact University
  Police/Counseling
• Just because a resident begins counseling,
  remember that change does not generally occur
  right away (just like with diet/exercise)
• Expect that they will experience highs and lows

7
Counseling Works

• No one expects you to be a counselor to your
  residents.
• You can remind your residents that counseling
  works!
• Seeing a professional counselor, you will have
  opportunities to
• figure out how you came to be who you are.
• identify the negative stuff that seems to repeat
  itself in your life over and over again.
• learn that you are not alone with the issues that
  you have.
• change your life by trying something different in
  situations where you used to always trip up.
• get some hope back about your future.
• RAs are welcome to come to counseling, too!

8
What Counseling Does to Our Brain

• Talking about feelings, knowing where they are
  coming from, and doing something about it, looks
  like this. (video)
• UWRF Student Health and Counseling web site

9
Important Links to consider

• Psychotherapy Myths vs. Reality
• 6 reasons why counseling works
• Training RAs to make effective referrals to
  counseling.

10
Important Tips for RAs
11
The Present/Mindfulness

• How do we live more of our lives in the present?
  
• The best way is to practice daily self-care.
• You have to practice this because if you dont it
  will be very difficult, and perhaps stressful, to
  summon it when you most need it.
• Self-care is meditation, socializing, a
  personal hobby, playing board games, playing
  sports, yoga, karate, all forms of exercise,
  getting out in nature, readingany activity that
  keeps your focus on what is in front of you, what
  is going on in the here-and-now.

12
Exercise Now!

• Exercise is the easiest way any individual can
  start to take hold over their mental health
  situation.
• Exercising 3 to 4 times a week for just 25
  minutes a shot has been shown by numerous
  researchers to be the most efficient and
  effective way anyone can maintain their own
  mental health/sense of well-being.
• If you have mild anxiety or depression get on
  this and you will notice the positive mood
  effects right away.

13
Mistakes must be made to live well. Just dont
keep making the same one.

• Trying to be perfect, not make mistakes, is a
  lesson in futility and stifles personal growth.
• Mistakes show you the many different options and
  choices there are in life.
• There is always a plan B, so go out there and
  make life work for you by taking it on.

14
Be Assertive/Have good Boundaries

• Be aware of how much time you are giving to those
  people who suck you of emotional and physical
  energy. You know what I mean.
• This type of relationship is a self-esteem
  killer.
• Learn how to say NO to these types of people
  without feeling guilty!!!
• Practice saying no with friends or just in the
  mirror. Once you got it you will learn how easy
  and effective the word NO can be in effectively
  managing your life.

15
Having good helper boundaries

• Be a mirror, not a sponge.
• Not to allow yourself to be used or abused by
  others in the interest of anothers well-being.
• Not to do for others what they could do for
  themselves.
• Not to create a crisis nor prevent a crisis if it
  is in the natural course of events for another
  individual.
• Poor boundaries? This is what burnout looks
  like!

16
Maintain Your Dignity

• Measure your personal and professional success
  with difficult people by the things you can
  control.
• Did you respond as an adult and not a child?
• Did you act in a way that demonstrates your
  self-respect?
• Were you clear about your position?
• Did you remain focused, even when the person
  tried to take you off track?
• Did you remain composed?
• Did you refuse to be baited or drawn into a
  losing argument?
• Were you considerate of the other persons
  feelings even if she did not give you the same
  consideration?

17
Understand Codependency Now

• If you need too much from others it builds
  co-dependent, stagnant, and chaotic,
  relationships.

18
Listen better!

• Listening is indeed an act of Love. It builds
  relationships and makes first dates go better.
• Listen without judgment or advice and watch what
  happens.
• People who listen well come across as secure and
  not self involved. These are the types of people
  who are well liked.

19
(No Transcript)
20
What it means to be Suicidal.

• The desire to commit suicide is always a sign of
  severe mental illness, and that illness is
  usually severe depression.
• A mental illness is treatable and there are
  professionals who are very successful at treating
  it.
• Suicidal thoughts absolutely will pass with time
  and professional help. People do cycle back to
  feeling ok again with help.
• It is so scary that a temporary condition can
  lead to such permanent results. Dont be fooled
  by your depressed brain.

21
Learn to recognize the signs of suicide

• If you recognize these signs, take them
  seriously follow your protocol to keep the
  person safe (e.g. call University Police, or a
  supervisor, etc.)
• IS PATH WARM is a helpful mnemonic
• I Ideation (threats to harm self, seeking
  means, talking/writing about death)
• S Substance Abuse (especially increased or
  excessive use)
• P Purposelessness
• A Anxiety (or agitation, difficulty sleeping or
  sleeping too much)
• T Trapped (feeling trapped, feeling like a
  burden)
• H Hopelessness (Hopelessness about the future
  this is a big deal)
• W Withdrawal (from friends, family, classes,
  etc)
• A Anger (rage, uncontrolled anger, seeking
  revenge)
• R Recklessness (engaging in risky behaviors)
• M Mood Changes (dramatic changes in a persons
  mood)

22
Leakage! Pay attention!

• "Leakage" occurs when a student intentionally or
  unintentionally reveals clues to feelings,
  thoughts, fantasies, attitudes, or intentions
  that may signal an impending violent act.
• These clues can take the form of subtle threats,
  boasts, innuendos, predictions, or ultimatums.
• They may be spoken or conveyed in stories, diary
  entries, essays, poems, letters, songs, drawings,
  doodles, tattoos, or videos.
• The School Shooter A THREAT ASSESSMENT
  PERSPECTIVE. (PDF)

23
What to do after a crisis

• Coping with Tragedy, Trauma, and Death

24
Questions or Comments?