Guidelines for Housing Staff

Suggested Guidelines for Housing Staff

Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) is fundamentally a student centered resource. We believe in the concept of students taking responsibility for accessing care. However, CAPS staff is also available to provide support and consultation to University faculty and staff concerned about the welfare of students. Please be aware that although we welcome information from concerned faculty and staff, confidentiality precludes us from disclosing information about a specific client without the client's consent. Often we are able to make general suggestions for approaching difficult situations without violating client rights.

If I am worried about a student's behavior, may I call or visit CAPS to discuss it?
If I feel a student to be significantly disruptive or dangerous to self or others, what do I do?
If I suggest to a student that he/she make an appointment with CAPS, how do I know it was done?
What limits are placed on me by the student's right to privacy and confidentiality after he/she has made a contact with CAPS?
If a student with whom I am working goes or is sent to CAPS because of a suicide attempt, what policy will be followed for informing Housing staff about continuing care?
If I am dissatisfied with the outcome of an emergency contact with CAPS around a specific student, what can I do?
If I am concerned about recurring problems of students and would like to improve my skills in dealing with such problems, is help available to me from CAPS?
Is it important how a referral is made?

If I am worried about a student's behavior, may I call or visit CAPS to discuss it?

YES. However, we encourage you first to discuss your concerns with the student who has the problems. Upon doing so, if you still desire to meet with a CAPS staff member, please let the receptionist know you are requesting a “consultation” when you schedule an appointment.

If I feel a student to be significantly disruptive or dangerous to self or others, what do I do?

A. If danger to self or others seems imminent, contact the Campus Police (706-542-2200). The CAPS on-call clinician will be paged through UGA Police. We are available to help you address the situation. You should also contact proper Housing staff (your supervisors), to assure coordinated response by our student affairs departments.

B. Talk with him/her about their behavior and your concerns for their safety and the housing community. Inform them of the need for an evaluation in CAPS. Call and talk with the crisis walk-in Clinician to discuss your concerns and alert us that you are requesting an evaluation.

Offer to accompany the student to CAPS if he/she indicates an inability to do it on his/her own.

Housing staff are ultimately responsible for making decisions about whether or not a particular disruptive behavior should be tolerated. CAPS staff is available for consultation about such behavior and to discuss ways to approach students. Documentation of the problematic behavior is important in case further action is needed.

If I suggest to a student that he/she make an appointment with CAPS, how do I know it was done?

Ask the student if he/she followed through. Given the need for confidentiality, such information cannot be released by CAPS without the consent of the student. However, the student may share whatever he/she so chooses directly with you.

What limits are placed on me by the student's right to privacy and confidentiality after he/she has made a contact with CAPS?

A student may share directly with you whatever information he/she chooses. However, CAPS cannot offer information about the student without the student's written permission. We often see students who make no mention of being referred by Housing staff or of the problems occurring in their residential hall. Therefore, we are often unaware of your concerns and involvement with these students. To improve such communications, if you are concerned about a particular student, call us in advance of his/her appointment and relay this information. Ask to speak with the crisis walk-in clinician who will take your information and offer ways to address your concerns and start a record if the student is new to our services. When the student comes in we can ask the student on our first meeting for his/her permission to talk to you about them. Few students deny us any contact, and many are comfortable with this, preferring we talk with you by phone while he/she is still in session with us.

If a student with whom I am working goes or is sent to CAPS because of a suicide attempt, what policy will be followed for informing Housing staff about continuing care?

A. Such overt behavior as a suicide gesture is viewed as partially releasing CAPS from the need for maintaining confidentiality in a strictly defined sense.

B. We are interested in providing such information as may be necessary for the supportive care of the individual upon his/her return to the residence hall. Such information will not be in specific terms, but will be general or broad information which should be helpful in understanding and caring for the individual.

C. If a student is brought to the University Health Center, continuity of care will be facilitated if the accompanying person will remain until an initial assessment is made and shared with you (or if it is impractical for you to remain, information may be shared by phone).

If I am dissatisfied with the outcome of an emergency contact with CAPS around a specific student, what can I do?

A. First, talk with the student about the contact.

B. If you still have questions, contact the University Health Center staff member who dealt with the student.

C. A third option is to contact the crisis walk-in clinician at 706-542-2273 during regular business hours, or for after hours emergencies, call the UGA Police at 706-542-2200 between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., and have the on-call clinician paged.

If I am concerned about recurring problems of students and would like to improve my skills in dealing with such problems, is help available to me from CAPS?

YES. The CAPS staff is available for consultation about general counseling and psychiatric issues. Please let the receptionist know you are requesting a consultation when you schedule a time to meet or speak on the phone. CAPS staff is also available to provide outreach and workshop programs in the residence hall. Such programs afford the opportunity to address student concerns on a broader scale.

Is it important how a referral is made?

YES. It is important that you see a student's making an appointment as a positive step and not as a weakness. When you are able to say you think it is important to be able to talk over concerns with persons trained for that purpose, this has the potential of making it easier for the student to decide to seek help and not feel stigmatized by doing so.

Remember your role is to:

• Listen,
• Share your concern, and
• Refer.