Pitt outlines mental health policy

After news broke that Jared Lee Loughner, the suspect in an Arizona shooting that killed six and… After news broke that Jared Lee Loughner, the suspect in an Arizona shooting that killed six and wounded 14, had been kicked out of community college for disruptive behavior, many questioned whether universities are doing enough to screen for mental health issues.

Last week, officials from Pitt’s Student Health Service agreed to discuss their own strategy for helping troubled students before disruptions in the classroom can turn into more serious situations. Deborah Walker, the student conduct officer, said that disruptive behavior from a student could lead to a range of responses, from formal recommendations for treatment to suspension.

First, faculty or the campus police will file a judicial referral, at which point Student Affairs takes over a matter.

“We will bring that complaint forward by taking the appropriate action. That could be suspension or a number of things, but we will apply sanction,” she said. “If a student is acting out in class — that is truly a violation of our code.”

Walker said students who are disruptive — interfering with classes or getting involved with campus police — might be placed on interim suspension, which prohibits them from being involved with the University or on campus until they meet with her for a preliminary conference. During the conference, Walker would inform the student of his options.

Those options include a variety of actions depending on the nature of the problem.

“We can send them to counseling [if they are deemed dangerous] or we can move forward with the judicial referral and apply sanction, but the first step is to make sure that the student is getting the psychiatric help that they need. So we will have them work with the Counseling Center to recommend treatment,” Walker said.

James Cox, director of the Counseling Center, said it does handle mandatory behavioral assessments at the referral of University faculty, staff and administration. He added that these referrals happen infrequently.

“If we determine that there is a serious problem and they’re a danger to themselves or others, then we can take steps to have them involuntarily involved in treatment if needed. Or, they may need to go home, it depends on each patient,” Cox said.

But if the student is not found to be a danger to himself or others, counseling is optional, he said.

“Our policy is that we try to protect the rights of students. If somebody is a danger to themselves or others, only under those circumstances then we can have them involuntarily committed,” Cox said.

In some instances, such as threats of imminent self-harm, Cox said that students could be immediately taken to Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic Diagnostic and Evaluation Center for evaluation, without need for permission.

“We do whatever we need to do to get the person the help that they need,” Cox said.

But he said this need for involuntary treatment does not occur on a frequent basis.

“If they’re not a danger to themselves/others, then they have choices; they have options. We just encourage them to talk. We really don’t run into a problem where we have to involuntarily hospitalize that many people. Most people are willing to get help if they really have a problem,” Cox said.

The center looks for signs of suicidal thoughts or threat-making to determine if an individual is a danger to himself or others.

For each of the past two years, the Counseling Center has seen more than 3,000 students, on par with the national average of 9 to 10 percent at a university, Cox said.

“Most of the students that come to the Counseling Center come on their own or at the suggestion of someone,” Cox said. “We do some assessments and even in those it’s up to the student if they want to continue to get treatment. And if they need treatment beyond what we can provide, we can assist them with that.”

Elizabeth Wettick, director of the Student Health Service, said that the Student Health Center often collaborates with the Counseling Center to get students the appropriate medical attention and “ensure the best outcome possible” when a mental disorder is discovered.

Wettick said that treatment varies depending on the severity of the situation.

“A non-urgent student is referred to the Counseling Center. A student who needs to see a counselor in a more urgent manner is referred to the Counseling Center, and we will call to get them an emergency/same day appointment. A student who is suicidal is taken to Western Psychiatric emergency room for evaluation,” Wettick said.

Student Health also has the ability to issue medications for mental health issues.

“Our physicians are primary care providers and have had training in mental health issues, therefore at times we will start medications if deemed appropriate. We will only provide medications if the student is being seen as well by either an outside mental health provider or by the Counseling Center,” Wettick said.

In some instances, students suffering from mental issues decide to withdraw from school to receive the medical treatment that they need at home.

“If a student wants to withdraw from school, we will help them withdraw. Then, we will require them to meet with our Counseling Center before they are permitted to come back to school,” Walker said.

According to Cox, the most common ailments that the Counseling Center treats are depression, anxiety and relationship issues.

The Counseling Center issues a Faculty & Staff Guide for Helping Distressed Students, which assists University faculty outside the center in dealing with students facing anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, anger, grief, substance abuse, disabilities or multicultural issues. The guide can be found on the Counseling Center website.

Even with the guide, those concerned about a student should contact the Counseling Center for consultation if questioning how to address the situation.

“Students can call. Faculty members, staff members and parents can call almost every day. We get somebody that calls asking for assistance, and our staff is trained to respond to that,” Cox said.

In emergency situations where the safety of the student or others is a concern, the Counseling Center staff can be reached after hours by contacting the Pitt police.

“We have a counselor on call 24 hours a day,” Cox said.