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.

Data-Based Advising

There are plenty of projects out there that use data to direct student advising, but I decided to develop my own for the TRIO SSS program here at CCD. For one, it is free to develop and use our own system. For two, it allowed me to create a system that fits our contingent situation.

It is quite simple (though its description is not conducive to a narrative). I select ten quantifiable variables that historically indicate problems with persistence and completion for our students: Term Grades, Term GPA, Cumulative GPA, Cumulative Completion Rate, Cumulative GPA Hours, Financial Aid Standing, Financial Aid Application Status, Hold Status, TRIO Meetings, and TRIO Activities. Then I operationalize the data for each variable, crunch the data, and end up with a Persistence Score for each student. The Persistence Score is like a golf score, the lower the better. The higher the score, the greater the risk of student stop out.

Then, in the following semester, I use the Persistent Report as a triage model for intentional advising. For students scoring low, I provide no additional services beyond standard TRIO activity. For students scoring medium, I enact one additional intervention. For students scoring high, I enact two additional interventions.

The Persistence Report is also helpful when meeting with students, as it provides plenty of important conversation points. As another project, I am currently creating a "flipped classroom" curriculum that uses a website to guide students through the data collection for themselves, and then connects them with student development advising and activities.

An important question is: Does data-based advising based on the Persistence Report make a difference in student persistence and completion? Anecdotally, I can say - at minimum - that it raises awareness of student trajectories and is a helpful tool for student advising. I have not yet completed a scientific evaluation, though I am currently working on another project to methodically evaluate TRIO, so perhaps I will include it there.

The Balancing Act

As a student advisor, I understand the importance of creating a welcoming, supportive environment for the students. As Vincent Tinto argues in his research on retention, relationship and a sense of community is key. "You want to go where everybody  knows your name," as the song goes. And if a student feels comfortable coming to us as they face obstacles and challenges, then we are positioned to utilize our skills and tools to strengthen and motivate.

On the other hand, I see it equally important to be an agitator. Sometimes a little "tough love" is needed, and it is our role to push and challenge the student. Carol Dweck makes a convincing argument for this view in her book  Mindset. To reach our full potential, we all need those people and  moments that nudge us beyond our comfort zone, that create disequilibrium and difficulty. It is through these experiences, too, that we grow stronger.

Sometimes a student needs a cookie, but other times the student needs to eat his vegetables.

To me, this leads to a balancing act between being friendly and empathetic, and being tough and challenging. Key to walking this line is trust. In my very first meeting with students, I make it clear: your success is my success, and you are capable of far more than you can imagine; I am here to support you and be with you every step of the way, but I am also here to push you and challenge you. And to live into this trust, I personally have to deeply take to heart what I say, and to do my best to reach this high standard each and every day that I come to work.