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Ramapo College of New Jersey is deeply committed to the physical and emotional well-being of our students. We can all play a part by noticing worrisome behavior and responding to students with empathy. By sharing your concerns and intervening early, you can help maintain a healthy and safe campus. This guide is designed to help you recognize signs of student distress and determine how to respond and refer students to the appropriate campus resource.
RCNJ faculty and staff are in a unique position to recognize and demonstrate compassion for students in distress.
Students may feel alone, isolated, and even hopeless when faced with challenges in their academic and personal lives. These feelings can disrupt academic performance and lead to dysfunctional coping and other serious consequences.
You may be the first person to see something distressing in a student if you have frequent and prolonged contact with them. As members of the RCNJ community, it is important that we act with kindness and understanding.
Students exhibiting troubling behaviors in your presence are likely having difficulties in other areas of their lives, including the classroom, with roommates, with family, and even in social settings.
Trust your instincts and say something if a student leaves you feeling worried, alarmed, or threatened.
Sometimes students cannot, or will not, turn to family, friends or others for help. Doing something, like expressing concern and/or informing a student of services available to them may be a critical factor in saving a student’s academic career or even their life.
Observations of a student’s conduct or statements made by a student are not protected by FERPA. Such information can be shared with college administrators, Public Safety or Counseling Services to promote student and campus safety.
Consideration for a student’s privacy should always be given before information is shared. When communicating with a student, it is important to use the language “private and discrete” rather than “confidential,” as you may need to share information with those resources listed in this document.
Use the following chart to identify a student in distress. Look for clusters of concerns, frequency, duration and severity – not just indicators in isolation.
Select the answer to determine who to contact when supporting a student in distress:
The student’s conduct is clearly and imminently reckless, disorderly, dangerous, or threatening to themselves or others.
Call Public Safety (201) 684-6666 or 911
The student shows signs of distress but I am unsure how serious it is. My interaction has left me feeling uneasy and/or really concerned about the student.
During Business Hours:
Consult with Counseling Services (201) 684-7522
After Hours and Holidays:
Call Public Safety (201) 684-6666
I am not concerned for the student’s immediate safety but they are having serious personal or academic issues and can use resources.
Refer student to appropriate campus resource (see below)
Counseling Services offers two suicide prevention trainings for the Ramapo community. If your department, organization, or club would like to take action to help prevent suicide, consider participating in the two training opportunities below.
Campus Connect is a free training that provides gatekeepers with information and strategies to help prevent suicide, and refer students to campus and community resources. Counseling Services staff utilizes experiential exercises, including an emphasis on acknowledging and working with gatekeepers own fears about suicide. Campus connect prepares faculty, staff, and students with an opportunity to learn about suicide prevention, and practice strategies for interacting with a student who is in crisis.
A Campus Connect gatekeeper training is approximately 3 hours and includes:
Please contact Counseling Services at (201) 674-7522 to schedule a Campus Connect training.
Ask, Listen, Refer is a free training available for faculty, staff and students. This training helps users:
This program takes about 20 minutes to complete. It is intended to be educational rather than therapeutic, and it must be completed in one sitting. Logging in and out of the program may cancel your progress and prevent you from obtaining your certificate of completion.
Ask, Listen, Refer can be facilitated in-person. If you are requesting the facilitation to occur after 5 pm, please partner with at least one other organization for the facilitation to be approved. You can request an in-person Ask, Listen, Refer facilitation here https://www.ramapo.edu/counseling/outreach-consultation-requests/
Click here to complete Ask, Listen, Refer https://asklistenrefer.org/ramapo-college-of-new-jersey/
Responding to students in distress can feel unfamiliar and uncomfortable. It is important to engage the student and relay your concerns. Be mindful of the student’s background, identity, and culture, as well as your own. Listen patiently, withhold judgement, and allow for silences if the student is slow to respond. The tips and questions outlined below can help guide a difficult conversation.
If there is imminent danger to you, the student, or someone else, call Public Safety at 201-684-6666 or 911.
Actively listen to the student’s concerns and consider how you might be able to help. Choose an appropriate place or situation for having this conversation.
Take a few deep breaths to calm yourself. Use a calm voice when talking and asking questions.
Make eye contact and give your full attention. Restate what the student says to make sure you understand what is causing the distress (e.g., “As I listen to you, I hear you saying…”).
Don’t be afraid to directly ask the student if they are having thoughts of dying by suicide or harming others. By asking questions you are not introducing the thought.
If you are concerned for your own or others’ safety, do not hesitate to call Public Safety at (201) 684-6666.
Be direct. Let the student know that you’ve noticed a change and you want to talk.
Be there to listen and be fully present. As an active listener, be curious and ask appropriate follow-up questions.
Set clear boundaries and connect students to those who can meet their needs. You are the bridge. Remember you are not a confidential resource but honor their privacy as best as possible.
Determine whether the student needs immediate support and refer them to the appropriate resources.
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