Students at the University of Michigan may experience a wide range of mental health issues during the course of their academic experience. As faculty members, teaching assistants, or staff members in academic departments, you may encounter students who need mental health support. Your role can be a positive and crucial one in identifying students who are in distress and assisting them to find the resources available to help.
In the Fall of 2019, CAPS launched the Faculty Toolkit with the generous support of the Baldwin Foundation. The toolkit was distributed to each faculty member in all 19 schools/colleges in order to provide the tools needed to better help support college student mental health. The toolkit was developed collaboratively with the CAPS Student Advisory Board, CAPS Project Manager, Student Illustrator and the CAPS Outreach Committee.
There are 4 primary ways in which CAPS systemically partners with others on campus to provide leadership for student mental health.
The purpose of these partnerships is to personally connect with units across campus, serve as consultants and referral sources to individuals who are seeking advice regarding a student in need of CAPS services, and to regularly share general information about student mental health.
Faculty have an important role when it comes to supporting student mental health on campus. Faculty are often seen as mentors, allies, and guides through a student's academic career and beyond. For these reasons, it can be important for faculty to know UM campus resources and engage in our community of caring with regards to mental health.
CAPS Student Advisory Board created the following list of ways that faculty can support their mental health:
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.
If a student reaches out to you for help or you have decided to approach a student you are concerned about, here are some suggestions that might be useful as you meet with that student.
