Faculty, Staff and Administrators
A referral to CAPS should be considered when you believe a student's problems go beyond your own experience and expertise, or when you feel uncomfortable helping a student with some issue.
A referral may be made either because of the way the student's problems are interfering with their academic work or with your teaching, or because observation of the student's personal behavior raises concerns apart from his or her academic work.
While many students seek help on their own, your exposure to students increases the likelihood you will identify signs or behaviors of distress in a student, or that a student will ask you for help. What can you do? You can help by telling the student that they can go to CAPS on the 2nd floor of the Flagler-Metzgar Building. CAPS staff are available to consult with you to help you determine whether a referral is appropriate - please contact us if we can be of assistance.
How to Tell If a Student May Be in Distress
- Any significant change in a student's behavior, appearance or demeanor
- Students exhibiting emotional distress: signs of anxiety, depression, unmanageable anger
- Isolated students
- A stress level that raises concern
- Suspected alcohol and/or drug abuse
- Fatigue and social withdrawal
- Threatening and/or aggressive behavior to self and/or others
- Signs of inability to care for self
- Indications of self-destructive thoughts (verbalized, written)
After the Referral is Made
It is important for members of the campus community to understand that the meetings conducted with students at CAPS are confidential. Information or content of those sessions cannot be released or discussed without the student’s written permission. CAPS staff adheres very strictly to ethical and legal parameters of Confidentiality. If a faculty or staff member is interested in knowing whether a student has visited or made contact with CAPS, they should ask that student directly (since students are not bound by the same obligation of confidentiality that counselors/psychologists are obliged to keep).
C.A.R.E. Team
The University has established the Campus Assessment Response and Evaluation (C.A.R.E.) Team. C.A.R.E. is responsible for assessing reports of behavioral health issues on the part of students, and for implementing interventions that are in the best interest of the University and the individual.
Contact Us
Contact Information
- Campus Address
- Sycamore Suites, Lower Level, 023
- Phone:
- (570) 422-3277
- Fax:
- (570) 422-3042 (Fax)
- Title of Department Leader
- Director, Counseling & Psychological Services
- Name
- Jennifer Young
- E:
- jyoung@esu.edu
