Advising with Mental Health In Mind

Several weeks ago, I attended a training on "Prevention and Response" with regard to student behavior.  While the training was informative and provided the necessary protocol for handling students who could pose a threat to safety on campus, I left feeling as if there could have been more information on addressing self-reported or suspected mental health issues in students.  Only days later, I came across an article in The Mentor  titled “The Prevalence of Mental Health Issues Among College Students: How Do Advisors Equip Themselves?” in which Lori Corley asserts that advisors have a responsibility in assisting students in accessing mental health treatment and shared some simple tips for doing so.  The training and then subsequently the article could not have intersected at a better time for me as I was grappling with trying to strike a balance in reporting the behavior and also helping the student access services.

According to Lori Corley, “75 percent of lifetime cases of diagnosable mental disorders begin by the age of 24”. 

This data should inform advising by taking into consideration the many responsibilities students are managing and how they are being impacted as a large number of our students are at risk based on age alone.

“Oftentimes varying degrees of stress and anxiety can trigger new mental health concerns or further exasperate existing ones,” states Corley. 

For many of our students, they are facing tremendous pressure and may be juggling more than traditional college students as they oftentimes work, have family responsibilities, or perhaps are the first in their family to attend college and are navigating a system that can seem daunting.    

Taking a moment to inquire about how things are going before moving forward with degreeworks can be an ideal time for advisors to gain insight into the student’s life.  In the event that a student discloses he or she is has mental health concerns during a conversation, advisors need to be prepared to make appropriate referrals, provide accurate and up to date resources, and be equipped to be a positive support for the student.

“Advisors may observe behaviors that could indicate underlying mental health issues or students may self-report their own concerns about their behavior.  In the latter case, it is important to listen to the students’ self-disclosure about concerns they have with their academics or other aspects of their life.  Asking open-ended questions about students’ overall satisfaction may encourage them to disclose feelings they are having or discuss issues they are facing.  And, of course, advisors need to be prepared to deal with behaviors and/or statements that indicate students may be planning to harm themselves” suggests Corley. 

“Academic Advisors should not feel it is their responsibility to counsel students with mental health issues or to recommend treatment.  Instead, advisors can observe students’ behavior and listen to self-disclosures, lend an ear, and refer students to the appropriate services available on campus,” stresses Corley.  

Encouraging a student to seek help and providing them with the assurance that they are not alone does not mean taking on the role of a mental health professional.  Rather, it is a necessary component of advising as we are able to have a significant effect on their future which is just as important as campus safety.

Digital Story-Telling

"As we are made of water, bone, and bio-chemistry, we are made of stories. The students that share their stories in our circles recognize a metamorphosis of sorts, a changing, that makes them feel different about their lives, their identities." - Joe Lambert, Director, Center for Digital Story-Telling

Digital story-telling has many uses in higher education. Students produce digital stories in the classroom as a learning activity and assessment tool. Faculty and staff create digital stories as teaching tools and outreach. Digital stories provide self-reflection, inspiration, connection, perspective, and new knowledge. Using accessible multimedia technologies and a straightforward template, we all can participate in the process of making meaning of our experience, and sharing those insights with the wider world!

So then, what is a digital story? The basic template includes a narration and images, merged together through video. The process of creating your own digital story is both easier and more difficult than you might expect. It is easier in that we all have amazing stories within us, and with a little guidance, current multimedia technology readily creates sharp productions. It is more difficult in that the craft of digital storytelling allows for endless nuance and perfecting, which quickly becomes apparent as you work through the creative process. Like chess, digital storytelling takes a little time to learn, but a long time to master.

Let's start with the basics. First and foremost, you need to decide on the story that you want to tell. Most fledgling storytellers focus on a personal story, as the material is immediately available. You may choose to tell a personal story based on an accomplishment, a struggle, an adventure, a choice, an identity, a philosophy, and - of course - a love. You may also tell a story about another person, such as a memorial to a grandparent, a biography of an inspirational figure, or the birth of a child. As story-telling creatures, we have seemingly unending capacity to make meaning - that is, to tell a story - about pretty much any aspect of our experience: a place, a tree, a star overhead.

What is the story you want to tell? What does it mean? And what does it really mean?

Draft your thoughts into a script, somewhere in the ballpark of 300-600 words. Keep in mind that you - or a suitable recruit - will narrate the script while showing images through a video production. Your first script does not need to be on par with Dostoevsky or Maya Angelou; do not be self-critical of your draft but rather focus on the process.

A few basic tips will get you a long way in honing your writing. First, own your emotions. You will feel vulnerable, but emotions make us human, and serve as a connecting point with an audience. It can be scary, but express your authentic self. Second, find the moment. A story distills down all the noise of life, and focuses on the heart of the matter. Is there a particular realization or event or object that crystallizes the meaning of your experience? Third, show instead of tell. Rather than say, "Bob was angry," say "With a quickened step, Bob stormed into the room, looking for a scapegoat."

A useful approach for refining the draft of your script is the story circle. Form a group and take turns reading aloud individual drafts. What worked and what didn't work? What was clear and what was a bit muddled? What images or phrases captivated? What emotions did you feel? If you choose to tell a digital story, you are going to feel exposed, so you may as well get used to putting yourself out there.

At the end of the day, your digital story will rise or fall based on the strength of your script.

With your script as scaffolding, start building a collage of images (photos, drawings, video) that reinforce your story. You may use your own personal images, or complete a Creative Commons search for non-copyrighted images. Also, you have the option to add music, but be careful not to overdo it or infringe on copyright.

Next, record a narration of your script. If you have a smartphone, you can easily record an audio file with numerous apps. Alternatively, you may use a tablet or laptop with a built-in mic, a stand alone mic connected to a computer, or a video created with a camera/camcorder (requiring you to extract the audio track). Expect to record your narration numerous times until you are happy with its pace and annunciation. You may use a free program such as Audacity to edit your narration.

The last step is to merge your audio (narration) and video (images) tracks into a single production. If you have a PC, you may use Movie Maker. If you have a Mac, you may use iMovie. You may also use a web-based program such as We Video. Are you a blooming director looking for more powerful editing capabilities? There are plenty of after-market software options, such as Apple Final Cut Pro, Cyberlink Power Director, or Adobe Premiere.

Now, go tell it on the mountain! Epiphanies are best when shared, especially when fresh on the soul.

The Heart of the Matter

I was born a white heterosexual middle class healthy male in 20th century America.

Certainly, my parents sacrificed much to grant me a strong, stable and supportive environment in which to grow. Certainly, I have worked hard at my own development and taken on difficult challenges along the way. Certainly, I have committed to an ethical life built on integrity.

The point is that my family and I have inherited the freedom and power to make these choices.

It would be disingenuous to say that I regret the opportunity my life has afforded. That is nothing other than a charity toward my brothers and sisters without such power. Does superficial guilt benefit those without, or does it simply salve the conscience of those with privilege?

Rather than charity, what is required is justice. Rather than feeling bad about freedom, power and opportunity, what we need is committed and systemic action to break down the barriers that keep many people from accessing these ecosystems. The list of challenges is  dishearteningly well tread: prejudice, greed, violence, fear.

Working at a community college, I am inspired every day by stories of resilience and resourcefulness and drive in the face of many such challenges. Most of the time, these life stories are different than my individual story. However, the important realization is that your story is my story, just as mine yours. This is the human story. "I may not [seem] the same; it does not matter; no freedom until we're equal; damn right I support it."

Justice is the freedom of each and everyone of us to become who we are. At a deep visceral level, I am indignant when this freedom is curtailed, and fulfilled when it flourishes forth. To me privilege equates to the responsibility to use my power and opportunity to work toward justice. This is not heroic; I am not swooping in to "save" anyone. I am simply playing a role in my story, your story, our story. The unwritten future is our hope; our dreams remain to be realized.

The Rise of Women in Education

I have often read, heard and seen that women are indeed faring much better academically than their male counterparts. As someone who works for equality and access for all who seek higher education, nothing could make me happier than the fact that this particular gender gap has narrowed so substantially – although not completely (i.e. STEM). Growing up in a home where the struggles of women’s rights and gender equality were often dinner table conversations, I feel a twinge of guilt in wondering what is happening to all of the men and what can be done to ensure they find their place in a rapidly changing and evolving society.

Gender equality on many fronts, in addition to education, has certainly not been achieved. Women still make less than men for equivalent work and the executive glass ceilings are all too often encountered by women in many corporate boardrooms. Violence against women is still endemic and women are disproportionately left to economically and physically support children.  However, women have made historic gains in the workforce and have propelled even further in higher education by many accounts and I have often considered the possible reasons for this historic advance.  

A new book released this year entitled, The Rise of Women, conclude that women are more likely to attend college, perform better academically and choose other fields than STEM disciplines. The research conducted by the authors suggested one of the main causes for this disparity between gender achievements is due to school engagement in the primary schooling years - boys are less engaged and girls are more engaged. Additionally, the book discusses social and behavioral skill deficits experienced by boys that lead to lower educational readiness at multiple stages as compared to their female counterparts.

The authors also suggested that men are “overly optimistic” regarding their future income earning potential leading them to “under invest in education.” The book also discusses that the gender inequality gap most prevalent for those who attend college are the “lack of gender integration among various fields of study” – STEM fields are overly represented by men.  It is important to note that the book suggests that choice of college majors by men and women happen more at the K-12 level and less so at the college level.

As a student development practitioner, I wonder how we can better serve both men and women in the higher education environment and how to do our part to help ameliorate some of the social forces leading to gender inequality at the higher education level. I feel that CCD’s Urban Male Initiative (UMI) program is a very innovative and effective resource that helps promote male student engagement both at the educational and community level.  I also know of student groups and organizations that focus on exposing and encouraging women to explore STEM careers as viable career options.   

I would invite others to share, in the comments section, their thoughts and / or best practices regarding how to counteract any of the above mentioned social forces leading to gender inequality at all levels of education.  

A Classic Text on Working with Others

Whether you are an advisor, teacher, or administrator, the importance of being attentive to relationships and emotions cannot be understated. As long as we higher education professionals are working with humans, and not robots, this will remain imperative to the work that we do.

It is plain to say that some people we more naturally relate with and understand, and others less so. This comes about through varying personalities, shared and divergent experiences, similar and different emotional profiles, and so on. For example, as an advisor, I often times work with a student older and more experienced than myself, or a student with eight times the street cred, or a student with a chip on their shoulder, or a student coming from a very different place. Yet it is contingent upon me to establish trusting relationships and a genuine emotional connection with each individual, regardless of the ease or difficulty of doing so.

Growing up, I remember my dad reading the newspaper every night. However, he only had one book in his library: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. From a young age, I was captivated by this book: I loved all the books in my own burgeoning library, and thus was very curious about the singular tome in my father's; even more so, the title of the book always struck me as odd. Out of serendipity, I recently cross paths with this book again, 20 years later. Out of sheer curiosity, I decided to give it a go.

A classic text first penned in the 1930's, How to Win Friends and Influence People had sold 15 million copies by 1981, while being translated into nearly every written language in the world. So the jacket informed me, as I turned the book over in my hands. Still, I could not see the title as anything other than a euphemism for How to Manipulate People and Get Your Way. Just as before, it seemed a strange topic.

To my surprise, though, there are many interesting and good strategies outlined in the book (sprinkled between plenty of cultural anachronisms - interesting in themselves). Certainly, one could use these strategies to manipulate people and get your way. But just the same, one could use these strategies to show genuine interest in others and expand your circle of concern. The underlying objective depends on the current status of your ego. The Jedi Force is used for both good and evil.

The grand strategy outlined by Carnegie - translated into contemporary language - is to value people and honor their contributions. When we escape our own narrow concerns, and go out of our way to truly listen to what others say and feel, then we can establish a strong foundation for partnering toward shared outcomes.

This is an invaluable strategy for building relationships and emotional connections, especially in situations where this does not come about naturally. At our first meeting, I always start by asking questions, listening, and learning as much as I can about a person. I make it a point to affirm the strengths and accomplishments that I hear in their story. I tune in to the emotions tied their memories, and attempt to put myself in their shoes. I am mindful of checking my own judgments, and open myself to the vibrancy and perspective of the person sitting across from me.

Consequently, the foundation of human relationship is built on trust, and many internal defenses and biases are eased. In other words, I have earned their respect.

Dale, I have something to add. In my view, it is more than just influencing another person.  By being true to the process, and allowing for it to reciprocate, then you too are being influenced by another person. And through such a process, we too grow - in our role as higher education professionals, in our role as people. When we open to this process, then we truly are genuine.

Highly Inefficient Efficiencies in the Workplace

In the New York Times article “Messages Galore, but No Time to Think,” Phyllis Korkki
highlights the insidious dark side of our deterministic march toward technological productivity. At any given moment, we can now use e-mail, cellphones, instant messaging, text messaging, social media, corporate intranets, cloud applications, and pagers to communicate at work. (What did I miss?) Moreover, the fluidity of these technologies means that we can mix our personal and work communication, 24/7.

Technology is in itself value neutral; its use determines its value. I am thinking of the electrical outlet at my grandparents’ old house, where we managed to use various splitters and power strips to plug in a dozen cords into a single outlet. At some point, of course, this becomes dangerous, either blowing a fuse, or worse, sending a shower of sparks into your home. This is past the point of diminishing returns.

When will we reach this point, as we plug more and more communication lines into our minds? When did we?

“Something may have been lost as we adopted these new communication tools: the ability to concentrate,” asserts Korkki.

According to neuroscientists such as Dr. Daniel Seagull, the practice of mindfulness – or sustained attention – thickens the pre-frontal cortex, which is the rational center of the brain. The pre-frontal cortex balances the more impulsive amygdala system. Balance is good, because sometimes deliberation is required, but other times (such as in dangerous situations), a quicker response is required.

For the sake of the argument, let’s assume that our excessive use of always on multiple communication technologies is the opposite of mindfulness practice. Instead, such practice is to quickly divide out attention in the name of efficiency. What does that do to neurological balance between our rational and our impulsive systems?

The question then becomes: Does the work we do require sustained rational analysis and decision making? Because if it does, we may be shooting ourselves in the foot in the name of efficiency.

Here, it seems, efficiency takes the form of a Zen koan: that which we seek we cannot find unless we stop seeking.

“To lessen the disruptive nature of e-mail and other messages, teams need to discuss how to alter their work process to allow blocks of time where they can disconnect entirely,” adds Korkki.

In other words, the most effective and productive approach requires that we set aside some time to slow down and focus on only one thing.

“Nature does not hurry, yet all is accomplished,” stated Lao Tzu, long ago.

Here is one intervention: actually take your lunch break, and put all of your electronic devices in sleep mode, if only for 30 minutes.

And another easy starting point: unless there is a legitimate reason to do so, do not send an e-mail to someone when you could take a minute to walk over and talk to them in person.

Lastly, keep in mind that neuroscience has debunked multi-tasking as a myth. Your brain is not hardwired to focus on more than one thing at a time – it is what it is. Multi-tasking is simply the rationing out of that one line to shorts bursts of limited attention. Is this really the most efficient way of doing things?

Are you busy, or are you productive? These are two different things.

Disequilibrium and the Teacher-Guide

In May, TRIO Student Support Services took a group of fifteen students on a Transfer and Cultural Tour. The student learning outcomes included: 1) Explore academic transfer opportunities beyond the Auraria Campus; 2) Experience cultural, geographical, and historical learning opportunities not otherwise accessible to TRIO students; and 3) Build communities of support among TRIO students and staff.

We know that the great majority of students that transfer out of CCD remain on the Auraria campus, with most ending up at Metro State. This in itself is not a problem; the tri-institutional arrangement of the Auraria Campus provides seamless transfer for our students, while maintaining local connections. Staying on the Auraria campus is the best value and fit for many of our students. The problem is that some of our students may be better off transferring elsewhere, but they simply do not know that.

The TRIO Transfer and Cultural Tour pushes students outside their comfort zone. We visit transfer institutions and communities that most of our students have never visited (or even heard of). Disequilibrium is pedagogy.

For example, at Western State Colorado University, a TRIO student was concerned that there were no campus police. "The Student Mountain Rescue Team once operated a safety phone line," the Admissions Rep told us, "But after two years they shut it down because not one emergency call was ever placed." (That is a bit different from the Auraria campus, where we hardly bat an eyelid at yet another person exposing themselves on the first floor of South.)

"Is there public transportation?" another student asked. "Well, there is no city bus, but it is not too hard to get around, since you can bike from one end of town to the other in ten minutes."

Certainly the small town campus was not for all of our students ("It is so quiet here...it is freaking me out"), but Western State ended up being the most popular campus we visited this year (in addition to UCCS and Colorado Mesa University).

The role of the teacher-guide is to bring our students into cognitive, cultural, social, even physical environments where they otherwise would not go, and to walk with them along the journey. With a bit of Socratic questioning and some structured time for reflection, the learning process moves along autonomously, as students synthesize new meaning and understanding from a direct and dynamic learning experience.

In TRIO, we firmly believe in the power of robust student support networks, and create opportunities for our participants to build and expand on their community of supporters. It is difficult to underestimate the significance that positive relationships with other students, faculty, and staff have on student success.

The TRIO Transfer and Cultural Tour puts students into new and different interpersonal environments. By intention, the Tour brings together a cross-section of our diverse student population, and puts everyone together in close quarters over four active and long days. As anticipated, the small scuffles and annoyances come about now and then, but when your choice is either to get back in the van, or walk 200 miles home, you make the necessary interpersonal adaptations quickly.

"It was interesting to meet and get to know people that I see at school for less than a minute.  When your traveling with 17 people for four days you get to learn how the person is like and who they are.  People can't hide who they are when traveling for so long with a group of people," noted one student.

Another student added, "I learned that when we build community we may have to work with diverse people who come from different backgrounds and beliefs. When we are working with the community, we need to be patient and we cannot expect that other people will perform like us because we come from different cultures, backgrounds, have different strengths and weaknesses, different personalities. It is important that we respect other people as well as ourselves."

"The trip gave me the ability to meet students whom I may not have otherwise interacted with. In doing so any of the other travelers can help to support the college experience and in return I can do the same for them. I told everyone on the trip that I work in our Office of Student Life and if they ever need books or any type of human services related help to come by. We can all support one another through our different background and experiences as college students. The camaraderie  is something that is priceless and can never be replaced," reflected a third student.

The role of the teacher-guide is not to control or direct or even inform. The teacher-guide creates intentional and thoughtful learning environments that challenge students to synthesize new experiences and understandings. Whether the student learning outcomes are purely academic, or more broadly developmental, disequilibrium is a powerful and engaging method to increase student learning and success.