journal_vol49no3 - 92
Exploring How Supporting Resident Assistants
Who Experience Suicidal Ideation Influences
the Career Planning of Residence Hall Directors
RESIDENCE HALL DIRECTORS FUNCTION AS FIRST RESPONDERS during
times of on-campus residential crisis and also train resident assistants on crisis
procedures. These directors are often relied upon to serve as intermediaries for
residential students when they are impeded by long wait times to see someone in
campus counseling services. In addition, they work directly with resident assistants,
some of whom experience suicidal ideation and need immediate support. This
qualitative study explored how supervising suicidal resident assistants shaped
the career planning and attrition of residence hall directors. A basic qualitative
research design was used to better understand how residence hall directors made
sense of their experience. This study captured the unique experiences of six current
and four former directors in one higher education institution in the United States,
some of whom confirmed their career path and some of whom changed direction
following the experience. Implications for practice include having a supportive and
competent supervisor, offering counseling sessions for these directors, and helping
them create appropriate boundaries between their personal and professional lives.
M
ore and more college students are struggling with mental health challenges.
When the American College Health Association (2019) surveyed undergraduate
students during the spring of 2019, a total of 55% of respondents indicated
that they felt hopeless at some time during the previous 12 months. As students
arrive on campuses, higher education institutions need to be prepared to serve them
beyond their academic lives. Many residential students spend less than 15% of their
weekly time in academic settings but spend a great deal of time in the residence halls.
At institutions with on-campus housing options, residence hall directors (RHDs)
are often relied upon to serve as intermediaries or first responders at certain crisis
points. Complicating this responsibility is the need to support residential students who
often experience long wait times before being able to consult with someone in campus
counseling services (Hardy et al., 2011; Henriques, 2014; Lynch & Glass, 2019; Prince,
Volume 49, No. 3 * 2023 89
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