Series: Mental Health in the Residence Halls

Abstract and Facilitator Information:

Abstract

Managing mental health issues in the residence halls is a difficult issue for resident assistant staff who serve in the front lines of residence hall management. This series, featured in the fall of 2007, will give RAs a basic introduction to the realm of student mental health and psychology in the residence halls.

September: This installment will provide an overview of typical disorders encountered within the residence halls, the recognizable symptoms of differing mental disorders, and some of the higher education laws that pertain to dealing with student disorders.

October: Resident assistants must be able to assist their residents on demand. One of the essential skills that a RA should possess is the ability to utilize basic counseling skills. This module will teach resident assistants basic counseling techniques to use within their building community, which includes basic listening skills, empathy, and the ability to refer when a problem is beyond the scope of a RA's knowledge.

November: Resident assistants must be equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to deal with the varied crisis situations that may arise within the residence halls. This module will educate RA's on how to respond in the event of traumatic mental health crisis, which would include the death of friends/family, suicide attempts, and sexual assault. This module is not meant to make resident assistants into professional counselors/therapists, but to increase awareness on how they may be able to help in event of these difficult situations, while still adhering to campus protocol and staying within their limitations.

December: An integral part of the resident assistant position is to provide social and educational activities to the resident hall students. Educating residents about such issues as eating disorders, depression & anxiety, medications, and drug & alcohol use and abuse is important. This module will give many useful programming ideas and how to present them in fun and interactive ways in the residence halls.

About the Facilitator:

Scott currently works for Allen and O’Hara Education Services as a community manager. He completed his undergraduate work at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania and went on to earn a clinical master's degree in Mental Health Counseling at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. He is a doctoral candidate in Higher Education at the Pennsylvania State University. He has presented nationally and internationally, at NACURH at the University of Oklahoma, CAACURH at Carnegie Mellon, Ohio State, and UMBC, FJCSGA (Florida Junior College Student Government Association) in Tampa, FL, and the University of New Brunswick in Canada. He has been published in "Student Leader" and "Campus Activities" magazines, and The Journal of College Student Development.