Counseling Protocol for Faculty and Staff

Students can be referred to Counseling Services if the student may be exhibiting signs of depression, social alienation, drugs and alcohol, anger management, issues related to low self-esteem, eating disorders, sleep disorders, mood changes, anxiety, grief, or suicidal ideation. If a psychological crisis occurs, consider the following:

If a student:

• Discloses plan to harm self
• Specifies method or possession of a weapon
• Shares feelings of hopelessness, feeling trapped, burden to others, sense of failure, etc.
• Reveals previous attempts of suicide

You should:

• Ask who to contact on their behalf
• Tell them you are calling someone who can help
• Keep the student engaged in conversation after calling a Counselor or Campus Police
• DO NOT allow the student to leave your office or classroom alone

In the face of academic pressures, financial struggles, and other factors, college students need options for counseling and support. With regard to personal counseling and mental health services at PCC, Counseling Services recommends to faculty and staff the following practices:

• Acknowledge but do not stigmatize mental health problems
• Encourage students to seek help and make suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention a high priority
• Maintain student confidentiality
• Understand that seeking mental health services is voluntary based on the student’s preferences and needs

Options for Assistance

• Student Referrals – Faculty or staff can refer students to Counseling Services. This program works in conjunction with community agencies/private providers when students need long-term care.
• Personal Counseling – Counselors are available to assist students who do not require long-term counseling or mental health services but are in need of brief solution-focused counseling. Counselors are located in the Goess Student Center, Room 170. All Counselors have a Masters Degrees in Counseling.
• Crisis Intervention: Counselors are available to immediately respond to a student experiencing an emergency. If you feel the student is distraught and cannot return to class or leave campus, please contact a counselor using the Crisis Protocol Flow Chart below. Counselors will come to your area and will use a private office or classroom to provide immediate counseling support to a student in crisis.