Tips for communicating with a student in distress
Compassion
- UAB faculty/staff and graduate teaching/research assistants are in a unique position to demonstrate compassion for UAB students.
- All students, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, may feel alone, isolated and even hopeless when faced with academic and life challenges. These feelings can easily disrupt academic performance and may impact a student’s wellbeing.
- You may be the first person to observe behaviors that show a student is struggling.
Action
- Talk about the challenges we are all experiencing
- Humanize the situation
- Be flexible
- Consult with others, to include the Division of Student Affairs. This website presents resources at your fingertips as you navigate providing resources and responding to student behaviors and needs.
Facilitate Connection
- Be warm and show care for their situation. Showing you care about a student’s wellbeing can have a positive impact on the student and increase their liklihood of seeking assistance.
- Build trust. Ask what they need. Let them know you are someone who responds to their needs and helps to connect them to resources.
Know your Boundaries
- If a student is exhibiting violent or threatening behaviors requiring an immediate response, do not hesitate to contact UAB Police at 205-934-3535.
- Normalize help-seeking behaviors and know the resources on the UAB campus. If you need to consult about a student(s) behaviors, and do not know where to start, please contact the Assistant Vice President for Student Experience at 205-934-4175.