Imperial College Disability Advisory Service

Disability related study barriers

Successfully engaging in degree level studies

The DAS is here to help students archive their potential despite encountering barriers to study associated with disability. We: •offer a high quality advice service•help to students to access the individual support available to them both within College and externally (eg. DSA)•provide study support with experienced specific learning difficulties tutors and/or study mentors

DAS

Mentoring is...

Practical one to one Study support designed to facilitate the student’s

independent self-management of the obstacles presented by enduring mental

health difficulties and disabilities.

What is the aim of Mentoring?

•To support students to identify any obstacles to effective study presented by their disability. •To facilitate the student’s thought process in order to identify solutions. •To help the student implement good study strategies. •To strongly encourage students to take responsibility for their own health and study. •To be clear from the outset where the boundaries of mentoring lie

What obstacles may students managing mental health difficulties face?

How might these obstacles affect study?

What can students use mentoring sessions for?

What can’t the mentor do?

• The Study Mentor does not engage in therapeutic support.

• The Study Mentor does not provide personal support.

• The Study Mentor does not provide medical support.

• The Study Mentor does not deal with emergencies.

• Students in crisis could be referred to the Imperial College Health Centre, with their consent. In the event that the student is deemed to present a threat to themselves or to others please see Imperial College London: Mental Health Difficulties Protocol, 2011

https://workspace.imperial.ac.uk/college/public/pdfs/MentalHealthDifficulties.pdf

Independent Self-Management

• Mentoring seeks to support the student in developing their ability to independently manage their study and health and is based upon a contract in which the student acknowledges their own responsibility to take action in these areas.

Mental Health Support - The Health Centre's

Perspective

Background

• Imperial is a toxic enviroment for mental health• Pressure triggers stress, which triggers the emergence

of mental illlness in those who are vulnerable• The pressures of the environment are not helped by

current social and economic pressures, nor by unrealistic expectations of what can be delivered

What sort of mental health problems do we see?

Anxiety Depression OCD Bipolar Disorder Stress Reactions Eating Disorders PTSD Bereavement Reactions ADHD Aspergers Transient mental health difficulties

What Can the Health Centre Offer A multidisciplinary team with lots of expertise Hopefully a diagnosis - stress, distress, mental illness In-house psychiatric assessment where there is: 1.

diagnostic uncertainty, 2. lack of response to treatment, 3. high risk, 4. need for a tertiary referral e.g. ADHD/Aspergers

Referal to local mental health services for those at high risk or with complex needs e.g. Crisis team/CMHT/long term psychotherapy

Referal to in-house counselling, psychotherapy or CBT Liaison with or referal to other Imperial services - DAS, SCS Liaison with departments re exams, mitigating

circumstances, fitness to study etc

Important Messages Managing expectations is sometimes very difficult We cannot offer open access. It is not a drop in service and those

with urgent problems can be seen in the morning or afternoon triage clinics

People with suicidal ideas don't always need to be seen immediately. Those with active intent do.

If you are worried discuss the individual with the duty doctor A certificcate for mitigating circumstances is not an emergency A patient's perspective of what is an emergency may be different

from ours Immediate (or rather early) assessment is available, immediate

treatment is not - there is a 6 week wait for in-housepsychotherapy, a 4-6 month wait for in-house CBT and a 6 to 12 month wait for a tertiary referral for Aspergers or ADHD and a 3-6 month wait for long term psychotherapy

How do you manage those with mental health difficulties

• Be compassionate, but objective• Know your own limits• Know who to refer to and how• If you don't know what to do, know who to ask• Set boundaries - don't be a magician and don't be

manipulated• Consider whether those who require too much of

your time are really fit to be studying• Look after yourself!