The “Illinois Approach” to Responding to Troubled and At-

Risk Students and EmployeesA Panel Presentation and

Discussion August 18, 2008

Paul Joffe, Counseling Center

Jeff Christensen, Division of Public SafetyKatherine Galvin, Office of Legal Counsel

Students Registered at DRES for Cognitive Psychiatric Disabilities--630% Increase

Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign 1996-2005

612510

422346

22522217616412997

0100200300400500600700

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Academic Year

Num

ber o

f St

uden

ts

Definition: Public Mental Health Crisis

A public mental health crisis is defined as any incident that occurs in a public setting and results in another member of the community being alarmed, distressed and/or disturbed and which involves a known or perceived mental health issue.

Examples of Mental Health Crises

• A suicide attempt that occurs in the residence halls

• Non-suicidal cutting that draws the attention of other students

• Public intoxication• The expression of persistent and

unwelcome romantic interest• The expression of a paranoid delusion

Reported Suicide Incidents (threats, attempts, completed)University of Illiniois, Urbana-Champaign 1995-2006

9077 78 72

102

140 141 139

170156

141

020406080

100120140160180

1995-1996

1996-1997

1997-1998

1998-1999

1999-2000

2000-2001

2001-2002

2002-2003

2003-2004

2004-2005

2005-2006

Academic Year

Num

ber o

f Sui

cide

In

cide

nt R

epor

ts

Referrals for Alcohol/Drug AssessmentsUniv. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign 2000-2005

331386

439

566

290

0100

200300400

500600

2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-2005

Academic Year

Num

ber o

fRe

ferra

ls

In responding to troubled and at-risk students, the single most

important step a campus can take is to take charge of the campus community and any crisis that

might occur in the campus community.

Case Example: Taking Charge in Romantic Context

• Matt is a 24 year-old Ph.D. candidate in humanities• E-mails the professor of a class he is taking a series of

provocative messages indicating romantic interest.• She ignores the romantic content and focuses on academic

issues.• Mid-semester, he shows up after class to go to a “planned

dinner.”• She asks him to leave and he refuses.• She phones the police who over the phone ask him to

leave. He refuses.• Police arrive and ask him to leave. He does.

Note:

• Matt’s conduct did not cross a criminal threshold that might lead to his arrest.

• Because the professor declined to file a report, Matt’s conduct was not in violation of the Student Code.

• While Matt did not make an actual threat, his conduct was alarming and threatening.

Principles of In-Chargeness• Those who become violent usually have deep-

seated issues around control and being in-charge.• Those who become violent, usually have a history

of small-scale incidents in which they engage in conflicts of control or in-chargeness.

• Many people have issues of control/being in charge.

• Only a small handful of people with issues of control/being in charge will eventually become violent.

• It’s important to respond to all students who display issues of control/being in charge via small scale precursor incidents. These would include small ruptures in the fabric of civility.

The University’s Practice ofProgressive Engagement

• Matt is called to a meeting with Director of Graduate Studies, who expresses his concern/alarm and future expectations.

• Matt is instructed not to attend class the following Monday and not to contact the professor by any means.

• Matt is called into a meeting the department head (also his advisor) who expresses concern/alarm and future expectations.

• Matt is called to a meeting with the Director of the Office of Conflict Resolution.

• Provisions are made for Matt to complete the course as an independent study with another member of the faculty.

• Matt abides by all limits and expectations.

Taking Charge in Context of Suicidal Intent

• In 1984 the University of Illinois established a standard of self-welfare.

• Self-inflicted injury for the purpose of ending one’s life was considered a violation of this standard.

• Students who threatened or attempted suicide were required to attend four sessions of mandated assessment.

• The university took suicide off the table as an option for students.

Results

• Since 1984 approximately 3000 students have gone through the program.

• The rate of suicide has been reduced by 46 percent.

• Only one student has been withdrawn. She was subsequently readmitted after three months.

Virginia Tech Report:Recommendation IV-4

“Incidents of aberrant, dangerous, or threatening behavior must be documented and reported immediately to a college’s threat assessment group, and must be acted upon in a prompt and effective manner to protect the safety of the campus community.”

Illinois Approach: Key Elements• Key thresholds• Call to engagement• Wrap around community• Micro-culture of limits and expectations• Alternate being in charge and not being in

charge• Stepwise process• Student self-demonstrates his/her fitness to be

in school

Six Behavioral Thresholds1. Suicide attempt/threat2. Homicidal threat3. Significant homicidal ideation4. Substantially and inappropriately “in-

charge”5. Persistent pursuit of options that don’t

reasonably exist6. Presence of a delusion

The Call to Engagement

• The crossing of a behavioral threshold becomes a call to the community to engage with the student (e.g., a suicide attempt or persisting unwanted romantic attention).

• The engagement is diverse and spans both the personal and the administrative, the formal and the informal, the encouraging and the expectant.

• The engagement is coordinated and consistent across several members of the community.

Elements of Engagement1. Members of the community express concern

over the recent incident.2. Members of the community convey the

seriousness of the situation.3. Members of the community clarify the

boundaries of the domains in which the student and others are legitimately in charge.

4. Members of the community clarify what reasonable options exist.

5. Members of the community establish explicit limits for future conduct.

6. Members of the community notify the student of the consequences for failing to adhere to limits.

Ten Core Practices1. Team approach (7 specialized teams)2. Trained reporting network3. No contract4. No trespass5. Point of contact6. Exhausted all route of appeal7. Systematic disengagement8. Virtual teams/executive coaching9. Letter of expectation10. A shift to formal process only

The U of Illinois’ Seven Teams

• Suicide Prevention Team• Eating Disturbances Intervention Team• Alcohol/Substance Abuse Intervention Team• Trauma Response Team• Interpersonal Violence Working Group• Workplace Violence Working Group• Special Situations Working Group

Special Situations Team• Legal Counsel• Counseling Center• McKinley Health Center• Office of the Dean of Students• Campus Police• Housing Division• Graduate College• Office of the Provost• Office of the Chancellor• Office of Student Conflict Resolution• Office of Equal Opportunity and Access• Office of International Student and Scholar Services

Colleagues:

Occasionally it is helpful to limit a student’s contact to a single University entity when the student has contacted several units attempting to address problems and concerns. Identifying a single person with whom the student can work helps the student focus her or his energies on problem-solving and assists our various units by keeping them from working at cross or overlapping purposes.

I ask that you direct current student “student’s name” to Dean “deans name:” as her contact point for the University to discuss her student and employment status.

Please let me know if you have questions or concerns.

Police Response and Resources• Importance of (pre-incident) intervention

• Case Review– July 2007, 4th and Green St., Champaign– 1996 – 1998, Benjamin Smith– 2008, Steven Kazmierczak

• Prevention is KEY; Response is CRITICAL– Preparation over panic– Police response to active threats

• http://www.dps.uiuc.edu/activethreat.htm

Safety Issues as Presented in the Employment Context

Same Intervention Model for Students and Employees

Overarching Principles:

•Be Pro-active

•Focus on Conduct & Impact on Environment

•Communicate & Enforce Expectations

• Engage the Community & Access Resources

Inclination & Desire to be Compassionate

How do we best accomplish that goal to help an employee who may be in crisis?

Early, Clear, Consistent and Firm Supervision is Compassionate

• Confronting problems early is the most compassionate thing to do for the person in crisis.– Helps them get to the resources they may need.– Preserves working environment & relationships– Avoids more serious and possibly irredeemable

consequences

It is in the best interests of co-workers, colleagues & staff

• Safety First: ensures that this highest principle is honored & pursued.

• Protects employees from adverse work and educational environments.

It is in the Institution’s Best Interest

• Protects against litigation and liability.

• Allows proper & undistracted focus on higher education mission.

Focus on conduct and not the person.

• Don’t diagnose.

• Don’t speculate.

• Don’t discuss (with caveats).

• Do be aware and document how conduct is impacting the employee’s work and the work environment of others.

Document, Document, Document

• Keep good records of the problems and your responses to them.

• Every verbal counseling should be followed up with a written summary to the employee.

• Provide clear guidance regarding expectations and consequences.

Confidentiality

• Preserve Confidentiality to the fullest extent possible and reasonable.

• SAFETY FIRST: make appropriate disclosures to attempt to keep the employee, the campus and the public safe.

• If in doubt, ask for guidance.

You don’t have to do it alone - You have excellent resources available.

• It may be new to you, but it isn’t to others.

• Don’t delay asking for help.– New administrators may want to identify some situation early on

in their new role and seek out one of the resource contacts to work through the situation.

• Trust us: we also want what is best for the employee, your unit and the institution.

Your Resources

• Academic Human Resources, 3.6747

• Staff Human Resources, 3.3101

• UA, Employee Relations & Human Resources, 4.1397

• Counseling Center, 3.3704

• Office of the Dean of Students, 3.0050

• Division of Public Safety

– Non-emergency, 3.1216

– Emergency from campus phone 9.911

• Office of Legal Counsel, 3.0560

Relevant Policies

• Policy on Workplace Violence, http://www.fs.uiuc.edu/cam/CAM/ix/ix-a/ix-a-19.html

• Environmental, Health and Safety Responsibilities of Deans, Directors and Heads of Academic and Administrative Units, http://www.fs.uiuc.edu/cam/CAM/v/v-b-1.2.html