For Staff

Information for Staff

Faculty staff, parents or friends may be among the first to notice when a student is having difficulty coping with the many stressors in his or her life. By recognising the signs of emotional distress in students and responding with interest and concern, you can play a vital role in helping the student find appropriate assistance and resolve the issues at hand.

The information on this page can help you to know how to respond to a student in distress, how to deal with a student who is disruptive, or sending distressing emails, and suggests ways to assist the student access help at the Counselling Service.

Types of assistance available
1: If an immediate and urgent response is required to assist with high level distress in a student, please call the Counselling Service and request an immediate and urgent response. Phone: Camperdown campus 8627 8433, Cumberland 9351 9638

2: Consultation with staff is available to assist dealing with difficult issues, for example disruptive or inappropriate behaviour, distressing emails, frequent and increasing demands on staff time etc. We can assist staff by talking through options and strategies to manage complex student issues, as well as providing information about other sources of assistance on campus and in the community.

3: Pathway for students to the Counselling Service. A first step with students may be to ask them if they are talking to anyone else about their problems. It can also be helpful to be open with students about your own limits of expertise, and to suggest that talking with a counsellor may help them to develop strategies to better cope with their concerns.

Access to the Service will depend on the complexity and severity of problems the student is facing. You may wish to:

1: Refer a student to the Service. Students can drop in daily for a walk in appointment, or phone to book a one hour appointment.
2: Phone the Service and make a booking on behalf of the student
3: Escort the student to the Service. If possible, phone the service in advance to alert us to the impending arrival of the student, so we can make sure they are seen as soon as possible
4: If the student is in extreme distress and requires immediate assistance, please phone the Service and ask for an immediate and urgent response. Counsellors are able to come to your office/teaching space to assist the student if appropriate.

Additional Resources:
For staff concerns, please contact the Case Management Group: 9351 5885

After hours assistance: Camperdown Community Mental Health Team: 9515 9000
Security Service: 9351 3487

If you have witnessed or participated in an emergency or critical event on campus, please see the webpage "Critical Incidents"