If Your Student is in Crisis

Occasionally a student may wish to be seen by a counselor immediately due to a personal or situational crisis. If a crisis occurs during business hours, a student may come to the University Counseling Center and request to be seen. If a crisis occurs after business hours or on a weekend, the student may call the Drake Public Safety at (515) 271-2222. See also our crisis information page.

Consultation is Available

A consultation may help you identify ways you can be most effective with your student, and in locating campus resources that you can suggest to them. If you have questions or concerns about your student, the mental health counselors at the University Counseling Center are available to speak with you. We can help you assess the seriousness of the situation, discuss possible resources on and off campus, learn how to make a referral, and plan for follow-up. Please call us at (515) 271-3864 to consult with one of our staff. Please know that if your student is receiving services at the University Counseling Center, we will not able to provide information about these services due to our adherence to client confidentiality.

Distressed Students:

While at Drake University, students will be faced with a great many personal, academic, and social stressors. Most will successfully navigate these challenges, while others may experience them as overwhelming and unmanageable. As a result, students may feel fearful, isolated, helpless, and alone. This distress can negatively impact a student's academic performance, and lead to disruptive behaviors such as acting out, alcohol/drug abuse, and suicide attempts.

Signs of Possible Distress

At one time or another, we all experience some degree of distress. However, when some of the following signs are present, your student may be experiencing significant distress that could interfere with his or her personal and academic functioning.

Is your student…

• Withdrawing from social interaction or apathetic toward activities?
• Not functioning at previous levels (e.g. receiving poor grads, quitting sports)?
• Having problems concentrating, remembering things, or thinking or speaking?
• Increasingly sensitive to or irritable about sights, sounds, smells, or touch?
• Feeling disconnected from oneself or one’s surroundings?
• Nervous, fearful, panicked, aggressive or suspicious?
• Experiencing sleep or appetite changes?
• Rapidly changing moods?
• Talking about death or suicide, directly or indirectly?
• Looking depressed (tearful, sad, hygiene changes, dress changes)? 

It is important to remember that just because a student appears to be experiencing one of these signs it does not necessarily mean that he or she is in significant distress. Many of the above situations are short lasting. However, if a student's distress appears to be severe, or you notice one or more of these signs over a prolonged period of time, then it may be necessary to intervene. If you have doubts or concerns about the seriousness of your student's problems, please consult with one of the counselors at the University Counseling Center.