Counseling Office Online

 

A Newsletter for the Faculty and Staff of Northeastern Illinois University
Spring 2009

Topics in this issue:

Don't cancel that class
Winter blahs... or maybe something more serious?
Economic downturn impacts our students
Suicide prevention grant is over: Now what?
How to contact the Counseling Office

 

Don't cancel that class!

After the success of this outreach initiative last Fall, we are continuing this popular program into the new year. If you won't be on campus for one of your class sessions this coming term, "don't cancel that class!"  Instead, let the Counseling Office make a presentation in your class during the time you will be away.  We can make presentations about a variety of topics, depending on the nature of your class and the needs of your students.

Some topics include:

Stress and relaxation -how to identify the signs of stress and how to make healthy choices to better manage your stress.

Winter stress -recognize the signs of depression and develop healthy habits and practices to enhance your mood and maintain emotional balance.

HIV/AIDS awareness -the effects of HIV, who's at risk, how to protect yourself from getting infected.

Focus your career choice - even though students may have chosen a major, they're likely to need help turning that general choice into a rewarding and marketable job.

While we can't cover every class period, we will try hard to make ourselves available.  Advance notice helps us be available to meet with your class, so please plan early.  To explore the possibility of a Counseling Office presentation in your class, call us at ext 4650 or email us here.   Remember, when you can't be in class, perhaps we can - don't cancel that class!

 

Winter blahs... or maybe something more serious?

With the start of a new semester, and especially as the stress of winter drags on, it's not unusual to start becoming concerned about some students in your classes.  Seeing students regularly, week by week, you may notice changes in their behavior, appearance, or drops in performance or motivation. What should you watch out for?  What should you do? 

Be concerned when students...
-express thoughts of harming themselves, or write at length about death or suicide;
-express feelings of being trapped, hopeless or without purpose;
-express unusual agitation or uncontrolled anger in class;
-indicate to you increases in their alcohol or drug use;
-act more withdrawn and isolated;
-show sudden drops in grades or performance;
-show dramatic changes in mood or energy;
-disappear from class or regular activities;

While no single sign is definitive, multiple signs may suggest a pattern.  If you see these signs and if you feel comfortable doing so, try talking to your student first.  It's Ok to let a student know what you are observing, to let them know you are concerned and interested in what might be going on with them.  Messages which convey a sense of concern are powerful ways of reaching out to people, and of helping them feel valued.   Depression and anxiety are most often characterized by withdrawal and isolation - on the other hand, emotional health is characterized by a sense of social connectedness and engagement.  Feeling that somebody notices and cares is a powerful way to feel socially connected, and a strong protective factor against emotional harm.  So don't be afraid of talking with students when you are concerned about them. 

Remember, you have influence with your students and your opinion matters.  When talking with students, be direct, be willing to listen, be non-judgmental, don't be sworn to secrecy, and feel free to get help yourself if the situation grows beyond your comfort level.

If students share information that seems beyond your ability to help, suggest that the student speak to a counselor.  You can call us for tips on making such a referral or consult our web page,  frequently asked questions about psychological counseling.  We also have a referral guide for faculty available online. 

Over the years, students have come to the Counseling Office with a wide variety of issues, but the key ones remain constant:  anxiety, depression and relationship concerns consistently top the list.  While students may feel unusual coming to see a counselor, you can let them know that close to 1,000 NEIU students each year consult a counselor.  They are not alone.  To ensure that hesitant students follow through on a referral recommendation, many professors even walk students down to the Counseling Office.   A recommendation, a telephone call, or even a stroll down to the office... the best approach is the one that works.

For more information, call the Counseling Office at ext. 4650.

 

Economic downturn impacts our students

No doubt about it, it's tougher getting hired in today's job market.  It demands that our students have highly developed career planning skills - from identifying appropriate majors, to well written communication (cover letter and resume), to adeptness at networking.

Let's take a look at the importance of internships for our students.  There was a time when employers liked job candidates who had completed an internship.  Now they expect internship - and probably more than one.  The earlier that we can involve our students in the career planning process, the more probable that they can complete internships during both their junior and senior years.

Many students at NEIU have a tendency to delay getting career planning assistance.  About half of the students who seek help with their career plans from the Counseling Office are seniors and above.  We all have to work together to help our students start the career exploration process early.  It's no small task, but faculty can play a crucial role in helping to prepare our students for today's job market.

With this in mind, the Counseling Office staff developed three in-class presentations to help students gain and/or refine their career objectives.  Each is one-session long:

Career Decision Making

 This interactive session focuses on what one needs to know in order to make meaningful career decisions.  The presentation emphasizes the combination of personal characteristics (interests, skills, values and personality preferences) with career information (nature of the work, education and skills needed, job market information and much more) to identify career options.  The use of an interest inventory is possible with a second session.  Students will use materials that translate their preferred interests into specific job titles.

 Enhancing Your Career Opportunities Through Networking

 This session emphasizes how students can use networking to better define their career goals, identify internship possibilities, as well as conducting their job search via an information interviewing approach.  Two things are accomplished: students get their questions answered and they begin to build a network of professional contacts from which much can happen with regards to part or full-time employment, internship and/or volunteer opportunities.

 Career Choices Related to Specific Academic Disciplines

This presentation helps students identify career options related to their academic major; both those that are directly and indirectly related,  Written resources will be covered (books and internet sites) as well as people resources  As a result of this session students will have a better understanding of how to use resources to help them identify career ideas to explore.

 To explore the possibility of including one of these career planning modules into your course, contact David Helfand in the Counseling Office (x4652)

 

Suicide prevention grant is over: Now what?

As many of you might know, NEIU's 3-year federal suicide prevention grant is now over.   During the past 3 years we visited many departments and talked with faculty members and tutors about students' mental health needs and referral strategies. In addition, we have developed outreach programs for students, and we made numerous presentations in academic classes in a variety of departments.  We've better identified the needs and developed liaisons across campus... now what?

The Counseling Office is committed to institutionalizing the effective approaches developed through its suicide prevention program.  That means ensuring that these prevention activities and this public health-based approach are part of the Counseling Office's mission.   A public health model assumes that the mental health needs on our campus are the responsibility of the entire campus, that the counselors themselves cannot effectively respond to them single-handedly, and that there are significant resources within our university community that must be mobilized to meet the needs of our students.  Above all, a public health approach is a comprehensive strategy, emphasizing prevention, which is always more cost-effective in the long run, and education as key strategies.

Nice words, but what does this mean in practical terms?  It means we encourage departments to continue to invite counselors in to meet with faculty and talk about the mental health issues that come up in your work with students.  It means we will continue to offer prevention-based outreach initiatives to students and student groups.  It means we will continue to seek ways to connect to hard-to-reach students... and hard-to-reach faculty.  This electronic newsletter is part of that effort.

The Counseling Office is also actively involved with Campus Police, the Dean of Students Office, and others to develop a preventive, proactive approach to students who show the potential of being harmful to themselves or to others.   As this model is implemented, we will inform the university community and help prepare the entire campus to respond effectively and seamlessly.   Stay tuned...

 

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