The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 2 - 51

College Students in Crisis: Prevention, Identification, and Response Options for Campus Housing Professionals

Panel, 2007). Many campuses have since
created a university or college-wide committee
that reviews concerns about the safety of students and includes personnel such as law enforcement, student affairs, and mental health
professionals.
With these mandates and guidelines in
mind, as well as state-specific mandatory reporting laws, RAs are specifically encouraged
to follow their university's reporting structure
and to seek additional supervision as often as
needed to engage in responsible practices. For
example, it is important to share with students
that RAs are required to report the content of
some types of conversations to supervisors. To
assist in detangling the nuances of students'
rights to privacy and confidentiality, residence
life staff are encouraged to work closely with
campus counseling professionals to determine what information should be shared,
with whom, and under what circumstances.
For example, at Florida State University, the
campus counseling center is involved in training RAs specifically to identify and respond to
a range of mental health issues faced by students (M. Swanbrow Becker, personal communication, Oct. 23, 2015). This is accomplished
through discussions and interactive role-plays
prior to the start of fall semester. The counseling center then continues to consult with residence life staff throughout the year to help RAs
support students in distress while respecting
privacy. Preparing RAs to identify residents
in need of support, intervene with them, and
effectively address resident concerns would
appear to be important training goals (Drum
et al., 2009; Lewis & Lewis, 1996; Westefeld,
Button, Haley, Kettmann, MacConnell, Sandil,
& Tallman, 2006).

INTERVENTION RESPONSE
OPTIONS
Residents in crisis need support and the RAs
are often the first to encounter them. Developing awareness of available supports once
a student in crisis is identified, is critical to
facilitate the connection of students to available resources. Students in distress are more
likely to reach out to someone with whom
they have a pre-existing relationship (Wyman
et al., 2008). As such, RAs can foster relationships with their residents early by initiating
one-on-one introductory meetings, sharing information about the RAs role, and addressing
any questions residents might have regarding
ways the RA might help the resident, including information on the limits of confidentiality. Attending to clues that students may be
in distress can help identify those individuals
needing additional support. Such clues may
come in the form of what residents say (e.g.,
"I can't take this anymore"), what they do
(e.g., missing class, substance abuse, absence
of personal hygiene), or events that happen
to them (e.g., failing an exam, relationship
breakup). Given the prevalence of psychological concerns among college students and the
complex nature of the indications of distress,
it is important that RAs possess a sophisticated understanding of the differences between
contextually appropriate stress reactions and
those pointing to significant concerns in
need of support. Thus, the need for information on how to accurately identify students in
crisis and provide resources to these students
becomes imperative for successful residence
life programs.
Within a university setting, campus counseling centers are the primary resource for
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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 2