Faculty:
Staff:
PIC 1: The title card “Supporting a Student with Suicidal Ideation” appears before being replaced by Dr. Knight who has the image of a young student next to her. The student is giving a speech with cue cards.
Let me tell you about a student from one of my first classes, Lea Young. She had a rare gift for public speaking.
She once had my entire class completely captivated while doing a presentation on coding qualitative data. Not typically a topic 19-year-olds get excited about.
PIC 2: The image changes to the same student but more hunched over and withdrawn in a grayer palette.
But then after midterms her grades started slipping. She started sitting in the back of the class and staring at floor during discussions.
It was like a light just went out inside her.
So, I decided to check in.
PIC 3: The screen changes to a series of messages between Dr. Knight and Lea.
DR. KNIGHT: Hi Lea, I’d like to check in about class, can you come to office hours after class tomorrow for a few minutes? If that doesn’t work, please let me know what time would be best for you. Looking forward to connecting, Dr. Knight.
LEA: Sure, see you after class.
PIC 4: The screen returns to Dr. Knight in the library with the shadow image of a figure at a computer desk with the text “Referral: Connect her to support.”
I was definitely nervous going into this conversation with Lea. But I reminded myself that… when a student’s difficulties go beyond my own experience and expertise, or if I start to feel uncomfortable, I can always move to referral. At any point.
PIC 5: The image and text is replaced with the words “Specific, observable behaviors” and “Avoid exaggerations.”
When I met with her, I raised the subject by mentioning the specific, observable behaviors I’d seen.
I made sure to avoid exaggerations, since they’re likely to make the other person defensive.
PIC 6: This slide has two example sentences, one labeled “Specific,” the other “Generalization or Evaluation.”
Specific:
Generalization or Evaluation:
PIC 7: The screen returns to Dr. Knight in the library.
I kept my observations neutral, avoiding anything that could be interpreted as judgmental.
PIC 8: This slide has two more example sentences, one labeled “Neutral” and the other labeled “Judgmental.”
Neutral:
Judgmental:
PIC 9: The screen returns to Dr. Knight in the library.
I also used some of the same techniques from the conversation with Maya.
PIC 10: This slide is titled “Neutral open-ended questions” and subtitled “Ask questions to help them open up.” There is an image of Dr. Knight with a word bubble and another of Lea.
Dr. Knight asks, “What are you finding challenging?”
Lea responds, “My dad lost his job, and there’s no way I can pay for the next semester.”
PIC 11: This slide is titled “Empathize” and its subtitle is “Acknowledge their thoughts, feelings, and experiences.” Dr. Knight and Lea each have a picture and a word bubble.
Dr. Knight says, “I know how much you love school. This must be hard for you.”
Lea responds, “School is all I care about.”
PIC 12: This slide is titled “Reflect” and subtitled “Check for understanding.” Dr. Knight and Lea each have a picture and a word bubble.
Dr. Knight says, “School is the most important thing for you.”
Lea responds, “Yeah, I mean, it’s the one thing I’ve ever felt good at. The rest of my life is a mess.”
PIC 13: The image returns to Dr. Knight in the library.
If you’re having this conversation with a student, and they reveal that they’re in distress it’s important to try to find out if that student is experiencing a crisis or is considering self-harm or suicide.
The only real way to know if a student is thinking about self-harm or suicide is to ask.
Asking about suicide doesn’t put the idea in someone’s head. Instead, it lets us better understand their level of risk, and gives them a safe space to talk about it.
PIC 14: This slide is titled “Asking about Suicide” and contains the following example questions:
PIC 15: The screen returns to Dr. Knight in the library.
Given everything I knew and observed about Lea, it was clear she was in distress. So, I knew it was important to ask, “Are you thinking about suicide?”
It took my breath away when told me she had looked up the least painful way to do it. And the only thing stopping her was that she hadn’t figured out where to get the pills yet.
Chances are you’ve had a similar conversation or are likely to have one at some point. It’s unfortunately common for college students to experience suicidal thoughts.
Like Lea, most people with suicidal ideation show definite warning signs.
PIC 16: This slide is titled “Suicide Warning Signs,” and subtitled, “Signs to look out for when concerned that a person may be experiencing suicidal thoughts” with the following examples:
PIC 17: The screen returns to Dr. Knight in the library.
With all my training, I wasn’t even sure what to say, and it took me a little longer to respond than I would’ve liked.
But I knew that I had to connect her to a trained professional immediately. Someone who knew exactly how to help her through this moment.
Bottom line, if a student discloses suicidal ideation, you have to refer them to a mental health professional.
And don’t worry about a referral being seen as an over-reaction, it’s better to err on the side of caution.
PIC 18: This slide has an image of Dr. Knight with arrows pointing to two different example sentences, one being “I could call the counseling center” and the other being “We could walk over together.” The text underneath both reads “To facilitate a direct and warm handoff.”
I told her that I could call the counseling center with her and someone could come pick her up, or I could walk her over.
With both options I’d be able to facilitate a direct and warm hand off. And I’d be with her the whole time so she wouldn’t have a chance to second guess or walk away.
PIC 19: Lea appears next to Dr. Knight with the same text.
PIC 20: The screen returns to Dr. Knight in the library.
Because I wanted to do everything I could to ensure that Lea’s initial contact with the counseling center was a positive experience while maintaining the trust and rapport that she and I had built together.
And giving her the choice gave her some control over what happened.
She decided to have me walk her over.
PIC 21: This slide is titled “Some things to keep in mind” and includes the following suggestions:
PIC 22: The screen returns to Dr. Knight in the library.
Lea chose to go to the counseling center with me, but what if she had refused and left?
Or what if the counseling center had been closed? Or what if she had disclosed her suicidal ideations in an email, or video chat, or on the phone? There are so many what ifs…
There’s no “perfect moment” or “perfect way” to ask about suicide. But the most important thing is to talk about it. It’s too important not to.
PIC 23: This slide reads “If you choose to continue you will” with the following list:
PIC 24: This slide has an image of a teacher named Professor Hampton and a student named Travis.
In this next scenario, you’ll watch Professor Hampton, talk to a student, Alberto, who’s demonstrating a concerning change in behavior.
His grades have gotten very low and now he’s started skipping class.
PIC 25: An image of Travis appears over a list of changes in his behavior:
When he does show up, he’s usually late and looks like he just dragged himself out of bed even though the class starts in the afternoon. He also falls asleep a lot in class.
Two days after missing the first assignment, Alberto emailed you asking for an extension, but he still hasn’t turned in that assignment and now he’s missed another one.
PIC 26: An image appears of Professor Hampton sitting across from Alberto with the title “Scenario: Talk with Alberto.”
Your Goal:
Techniques: