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NIU staff aware of mental illness signs in students
Even before the Feb. 14 shootings occurred, Brian Hemphill, Micky Sharma and Linda Herrmann began a mission to inform every NIU academic college of what to do if a student is showing signs of mental illness.
They have been giving a presentation entitled “Recognizing and Assisting the Emotionally Troubled Student.” NIU staff and faculty have been eager to learn.
“Our faculty has a deep concern for our students,” said Hemphill, vice president for Student Affairs, and
Sharma agreed.
“They want to know how to support students,” said Sharma, director of Counseling and Student Development Center (CSDC). Herrmann is the assistant vice president of Student Health & Wellness for Health Services.
During the sessions, faculty and staff are given tips on what warning signs to look for.
“We focus on looking at behavioral changes, academic performance, major shifts in mood, exaggerated emotional response,” Sharma said. Another warning sign is if a student used to participate in lectures but no longer does, he said.
“We also mentioned paying attention to disturbing writing of a nonfiction nature,” Hemphill said.
They also talk about the best way to deal with a student who is having problems. Professors can refer students to CSDC, call CSDC with a student in their office, or even walk them there, Sharma said.
“Faculty and staff are the first point of contact,” Sharma said. “It’s faculty they have a relationship with.”
But not every student will accept the offer, he pointed out.
“Whether or not a student accepts counseling or not at that moment, maybe the next day or next week they’ll choose to come over to our office,” Sharma said.
On top of the sessions for faculty and staff, staff at Counseling and Student Development wants to make sure every student is comfortable walking through their doors.
“We operate on the walk-in system,” Sharma said. “We just want to be as open and welcoming as possible.”
Fred Markowitz, associate professor of sociology, praised the university for taking these steps.
“It’s my impression that the university is doing an excellent job,” said Markowitz, who teaches a sociology of mental illness class. “They really do have good facilities. They make help available. They’re making professors aware of it. The university is doing what they can short of some mandatory screening.”
However, there is no black-and-white designation regarding mental health, only grey areas, he said.
In the past Markowitz has recommended that some students seek help for a mental illness.
“I never do it lightly,” he said. “It’s a serious issue.”
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