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Barry's Corner


January 2008

Heya Everyone! This is the first of what will be regular "Corner Comments" from me as Director of Counseling and Mental Health Services (CMHS), the UConn Counseling Center. As a focus for my first topic, I want to address something I hear all too often on our campus from Students, Staff, and Faculty alike. That phrase is "post-Virginia Tech." It is said usually on the immediate heels of someone expressing concerns about a student behaving in a way that is worrying. As the "head shrink" on campus let me share a little information to reassure folks about mental health on the UConn campus and then let's chat about folks who, despite my reassurances, still concern us.

Fact 1 is this: You are safer on any college campus in the country than you are in any city in the country. Violence on a campus is much, much less common than violence in a city. This means your chances of experiencing violence at UConn is significantly less than your chances of experiencing violence in downtown Boston. Here is Fact 2: Most folks with what we might call "mental illness" are much less likely to act out violently than those who we commonly refer to as "drunk" or "high." All this to say: Campus is very safe and the far majority of students with emotional concerns do not harm others.

So, sure that is reassuring you might be saying, but there are still those who concern us and why couldn't the next Virginia Tech be here? Well, the truth is that it could happen here. Why did it happen at Virginia Tech? The sad answer is: Why not there? Though lots of folks in Student Affairs work everyday, including yours truly, to make sure such a thing doesn't happen here, we cannot control everything. So, to up the ante, let's include you in this "safety web." If someone's behavior concerns you, call us. If someone is having emotional troubles and you are worried about them, call us. If you are worried about yourself and how you are feeling, call us. Pretty simple. Don't be a silo with your concerns, reach out and connect. When you call, we will chat with you about services on campus and off, options for helping the person about whom you are concerned or about helping yourself, and we can make sure that you are not alone with your worries and concerns.

On our website as well as on the Dean of Students website is a fabulous booklet called "Helping Students in Distress" (see right column) and it is full of great information about this very matter. Download it, print yourself a copy, and consult it regularly. I had the great experience recently of speaking to a faculty group on campus who related how they had concerns about a student. When deciding what to do, they used the booklet. It proved very helpful to them in knowing what to do, what not to do, and what available resources were.

I hope these brief comments are helpful to give you some context for your concerns as well as knowing how CMHS is available to you.

Finally, I want to ask you to email me if you have questions about mental health on campus and I will try to answer them. If appropriate, I will post your question and my reply on my Corner Comments. Easy to email me: barry@uconn.edu.

So, let's have a great 2008 and let's remember we are in this together during the good times and during the times that are most challenging. The more connection we keep with each other, the greater help we can be to each other. The Association of University and College Counseling Center Directors notes how "enhanced communication" is one of the primary routes to reducing campus violence. So-let's stay in touch!

 
Helping Students in Distress
A Faculty & Staff Guide

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