As you revise your syllabi for the spring semester, remember “an ounce of prevention…”
Yes, you can plan an important role preventing and/or minimizing a student's distress. Consider including in your syllabi a statement that serves to normalize help-seeking behaviors, especially the seeking of counseling services.
Imagine a dynamic classroom dialogue the first day of class in response to a question asking about the stigma that keeps individuals from seeking counseling and what could be done to change attitudes. We know the stigma about accessing services causes many to suffer needlessly; therefore, we invite you to partner with us to identify students at risk and reach out to them – and/or to report your concerns via the Students at Risk Initiative.
Reducing the stigma about accessing mental health care can lead to a culture on the IC campus where students are motivated to seek professional help when it is needed, and consider doing so a smart and healthy thing to do.
Thanks for the fine work you do with our students.
Sincerely,
Counseling and Psychological Services
Sample Syllabi Insert:
Diminished mental health, including significant stress, mood changes, excessive worry, or problems with eating and/or sleeping can interfere with optimal academic performance. The source of symptoms might be strictly related to your course work; if so, please speak with me. However, problems with relationships, family worries, loss, or a personal struggle or crisis can also contribute to decreased academic performance.
Ithaca College provides a Counseling Center to support the academic success of students. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) provides cost-free services to help you manage personal challenges that threaten your academic success and/or well-being.
In the event I suspect you need additional support, expect that I will express my concerns (and the reasons for them) to you and remind you of resources (e.g., CAPS, Health Center, Chaplains, etc.) that might be helpful. It is not my intention to know the details of what might be bothering you, but simply to let you know I am concerned and that help, if needed, is available.
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20110118195047954