What resources are available to help me respond to students with mental health issues impacting academic integrity?
There are a number of university resources to help you respond to students in distress. Several of these are listed below but please note that this list is non-exhaustive. We encourage you to make a plan to review these resources now and over the next few weeks so that you feel prepared to access the content when you are assisting a student with mental health issues.
- Contact the Dean of Students Office Care team and let them know you are concerned about a student. The quickest way to do this is to complete the Submit a Care Concern form at https://umatter.ufl.edu/refer-or-report/. The DSO will work with you to ensure the student gets connected to available resources. The DSO U Matter website is umatter.ufl.edu and includes faculty resources for approaching students in distress. The DSO also provides a general informational page on resources to help you and your students https://dso.ufl.edu/about/for-faculty-staff/ .
- Take the Kognito on line training offered by the Counseling and Wellness Center (CWC). This is free to all UF employees and includes practice on how to respond to different student case scenarios. Access the training here: https://counseling.ufl.edu/resources/kognito/.
- Review the list of resources at the end of PHHP Teaching Excellence Module Classroom Management – Academic Integrity in Canvas. You will find it in Canvas under The Skills Building and Practice Section. These resources cover a range of topics related to students in distress.
- Review UF’s orange and blue folders that are quick reference guides for referring students for help. These folders include decision trees on who to contact based on what you think the student’s needs are. You can access both of these folders through the Teaching Excellence Module entitled Classroom Management – Part 1 Dig Deeper and through the Counseling and Wellness Center site at https://counseling.ufl.edu/worried-about-student/ .
- Familiarize yourself with the Counseling and Wellness Center (392-1575). It has two locations. The Counseling and Wellness Center located at 3190 Radio Road serves as the primary resource for students to receive non-urgent mental health services. The CWC located at 401 Peabody Hall offers students crisis support and urgent consultations. (The phone number and web site are the same.) The web site also includes resources for faculty on how to approach students struggling with mental health issues, such as suicide prevention materials:https://counseling.ufl.edu
Don’t hesitate to consult the program director, chair, or dean’s office if you would like assistance.