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.