Talking Stick - May/June 2013 - 62

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conTInued

Healing in Housing

to the residence halls or university
apartment communities: (1) Student
does not appear to be a risk to self or
others; (2) Student agrees to act in a
manner indicating he or she can care
for self independently and as part of
a community setting in the residence
halls; and (3) Student agrees to follow
a treatment plan as provided by a
licensed or supervised mental health
provider. Once we have received the
documentation, there is a mandatory
re-entry meeting (typically with a
representative from the dean’s office

and me). At this meeting we talk about
transition issues related to the return.”
The protocol for following up
on a student’s referral is not merely
a bureaucratic procedure; it is a
personalized attempt to make the
student’s transition as comfortable as
possible, and it is an ongoing process
that includes a lengthy follow-up. At
the University of Southern Indiana,
“Part of our protocol for on-call staff
is to meet students at the hospital. If
possible and feasible, the on-call
staff will talk with the student about

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62

Talking STick

how to return to campus. We have
developed a form that we email the
student. Additionally, on-call staff
gather contact numbers so the dean
of students office can follow up with
the student and faculty if the student
will be off campus for a number of
days. Upon return to campus, the
student will meet with housing or
dean of students staff to talk about
re-entry to the community. Follow-up
meetings may be set at that time. If
the student is a housing resident,
their area coordinator and RA will
also check in with the student
periodically.”

Help for the Helpers
As housing professionals are often
on the frontline in responding
to students who need help, it is
important to provide ongoing
support, education, and resources for
them. Caregiving can be physically
exhausting and can take a toll on
one’s emotional health; as helping
professionals, many housing officers
put their own well-being and mental
health aside in order to support
others. Policies and practices have
always been in place to support
students, but they have not always
been there for professional staff,
who need to know not only what
resources are available to students
but also what is available, either on
campus or in the community, for
them. Many of them need help after
managing a mental health crisis in
residence; they need to debrief, to
express their emotions or air their
confusion, and to feel confident
that they handled the situation
professionally. They also need help
dealing with such feelings as anxiety,
stress, guilt, and uncertainty, as well
as what can be called compassion
or grief fatigue, which is linked to
burnout. Compassion fatigue is the
cumulative effect on one’s physical,
emotional, and mental state after
repeatedly helping others in crisis. In
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Talking Stick - May/June 2013

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