Personal Growth and Counseling Center

Emotionally Distressed Students

As a member of the California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) campus community, you are constantly interacting with students. At times, you will have contact with students whose problems or behaviors may lead to concern, create discomfort, or affect the education of other students. The difficulty is that most often, these situations do not often resolve without support or intervention.

As a faculty or staff member, interacting daily with students, you are in an excellent position to recognize behavior changes that may indicate emotional distress within a student. A student's behavior, especially if it is inconsistent with your previous observations, could well constitute an inarticulate "cry for help." Although you are not likely a trained counselor, you can serve as a first responder helping students in crisis connect to professional help. 

This document was created to help you when these difficult occasions occur. It offers straightforward advice, techniques and suggestions on how to cope with, intervene, and assist troubled students in or out of the classroom.

The Emotionally Distressed Student Guide