Behavioral Health and Vanderbilt Students: Resources and Needs Feedback John W. Greene

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Behavioral Health and Vanderbilt Students
Resources and NeedsFeedback John W. Greene

• VU Faculty Senate
• Student Life Committee
• Mental Health Subcommittee
• Clint Carter, Agnes Fogo,
• Craig Anne Heflinger, Cathy Reisenberg

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National Trends

• Increase across US in college mental health
  issues
• Adolescents identified with MH problems early,
  effective treatment
• Eligible for admission
• Universities recognizing more students with MH
  problems
• Consistent with VU data and reports

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National Issues

• Lawsuits again universities (and individual
  personnel)
• For failure to inform parents
• For failure to identify and treat
• For dismissal or forced leave because of MH
  problems
• None have occurred at Vanderbilt

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Vanderbilt Context

• Best and brightest being admitted to
  undergraduate, professional, and graduate
  programs
• SAT, GRE scores, etc
• Increases in those
• Coming to the attention of the Deans of Students
  in the Colleges (Deans Meeting and communication)
• Seeking services from PCC and SHC
• Reporting prescription psychiatric medication

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Vanderbilt Context

• Mental health
• Substance Abuse Dependence
• Alcohol
• Any use lt21 years is illegal
• Illegal drugs
• Marijuana
• Cocaine
• Recreational or Academic use of prescription
  drugs
• Stimulants Adderall, Ritalin, etc.
• Opioid Pain Medications
• When does use become abuse?
• Definitions vary for Problem use vs.
  abuse/addiction
• Relationship between adolescent substance use and
  mental health issues
• Self Medication
• Dual Diagnoses are common

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Information From

• Deans of Students or Designated Contacts
• AS Francielle Bergquist, Associate Dean
• Peabody Ellen Brier, Assistant Dean
• Blair Cynthia Cyrus, Associate Dean
• Engineering Art Overholser, Associate Dean
• Divinity Alice Hunt, Associate Dean
• Owen Kelly Christie, Director of Academic
  programs
• Law Julie Sandine, Assistant Dean
• Medical School Scott Rodgers, Assistant Dean
• Graduate School at VUMC R. Chalkey, Sr.
  Associate Dean and Darrell Smith, Ph.D.
• Nursing School Sarah Ramsey, Director of
  Student Affairs

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Information From

• Student Health Wellness
• Psychological Counseling Center (PCC)
• Student Health Center
• Office of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs
  Prevention (OATDP)
• Office of Religious Life
• Housing - OHARE
• Panhellenic Advisors
• Student Conduct and Academic Integrity
• VU Police Department (VUPD)

• VU Emergency Department
• Margaret Cuninggim Womens Center
• Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center
• Opportunity Development Center (ODC)
• Disability Services

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VU Data Available Problems

• Undergraduates reporting frequently depressed

CIRP
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VU Data Available Problems

• Undergraduates reporting substance use

Core Alcohol Drug Survey(OATDP) (n69 first
year students, Sp 2006)
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VU Data Available Problems

• When larger sample of all undergrads surveyed in
  dorms (n2,657)
• 71 Alcohol past 30 days
• 43 Binge drinking past two weeks
• 21 Marijuana use

Quality of Life Survey (Student Life) (all in
dorms, 2004)
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VU Behavioral Health Services

• Student Health and Wellness
• Psychological Counseling Center
• Student Health Center
• OATDP
• Religious Life
• OHARE Housing
• Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity
• VUPD
• ODC
• VU Emergency Department
• VUMC Referrals

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VU Data Available Problems

• Intake information, Psychological Counseling
  Center (PCC)
• 60 met criteria for mental health diagnosis at
  intake
• 15 considered suicidal at intake
• 40 on psychiatric medication
• 1/3 of those on 2 meds

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VU Data Available Problems

• Prescription information, Student Health

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VU Data Available Resources

• Service information, Psychological Counseling
  Center (PCC)
• 10 increase/year in hours of therapy for students

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VU Data Available Resources

• Psychiatric service information, Student Health

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• 24

• 16

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How Do Students Get Identified and Help?

• Orientation for new students
• Websites
• www.vanderbilt.edu
• Students
• Health and Wellness
• Psychological and Counseling Center
• Student Health Center
• Wellness Resource Center/Student Recreation
  Center
• Office of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs
• Office of Religious Life

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How Do Students Get Identified and Help?
Psychological Counseling Center

• http//www.vanderbilt.edu/pcc/

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How Do Students Get Identified and Help?

• First responders
• Residential advisors OHARE
• RA
• Head Resident
• Area Director
• Faculty and staff/Deans of Students
• VUPD
• Special centers for certain students
• Womens Center
• Black Cultural Center

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How Do Students Get Identified and Help?

• Differences across
• Schools Very Consistent for AS, Blair and
  Peabody with regular communication and meetings
  e.g. Blair e-mail from Dean Cyrus regarding
  concern for a student
• Undergrad vs. grad/professional
• Incoming students vs. others
• Postdoctoral fellows Darrell Smith, Ph.D.
• International students - ISSS

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How Do Students Get Identified and Help?

• Related programs for the incoming first year
  students (undergrads) 2006
• AlcoholEdu
• http//college.alcoholedu.com/login.aspx
• Demo Login 6C221999DEMO
• Click sign up and follow on-screen prompts

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How Do Students Get Identified and Help?

• Vanderbilt Visions (started August 2006)
• Linked to VU Community Creed but also building
  meaningful relationships and connections
• Scholarship
• Honesty
• Civility
• Accountability
• Caring
• Discovery
• Celebration
• http//www.vanderbilt.edu/visions/schedule.html

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Level of Resources at VU

• Feedback from colleagues at other universities
• VU works hard to retain students
• VU relatively understaffed

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Lessons Learned From Other Universities

• Other Universities should consider building a
  cohesive network of concerned professionals
  similar to those that exist at Vanderbilt.
• The Student Welfare Committee
• A student is identified as having a problem e.g.
  alcohol abuse
• The students academic dean, OHARE, PCC, SHC and
  (as necessary) a representative from the
  University counsels office work to develop a
  plan for the student

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Barriers to Meeting Student Needs

• Perceived (Lack of ) knowledge of first
  responders, especially faculty
• (Lower than needed or lower than average for
  similar Universities) level of resources
• Structural barriers
• Organizational structure reorganized September
  2006
• Coordination/communication greatly enhanced
  September 2006
• Administrative attitudes about drinking changed
  with the reorganization

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Recommendations

• That the Senate commend VU for
• Admitting well-qualified students regardless of
  mental health problems
• Providing services to keep and support students
  at VU
• Can we move to a more proactive, preventive
  stance?
• Coordination of Services
• Health and Wellness Approach
• Vanderbilt Visions
• MAPS

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Recommendations

• Build on current VU strengths
• Undergraduates
• Wraparound links between academics (deans of
  students), housing, student health, psychological
  counseling center in place
• School of Medicine program for graduate students
  and postdoctoral fellows
• Separation from academic program
• In-house service and link to other resources

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Recommendations to the Administration

• ONE point of contact
• Phone referral center/ 24 hours/7 days a week
• Options are available for a variety of costs
• For Profit Companies and Crisis Lines
• Vanderbilt ED Staff ED Staffing
• Student Health Center 24 hour operation
• Integrated, regardless of school, grad v.
  undergrad, faculty v. staff v. student
• Website access/coordination
• Needs catchy acronym, easy to remember
• Healthy Dores vs. Salubrious Site vs. SHAW vs.
  other

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How Do Students Get Identified and Help? Wellness
Resource Center
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Linked Spheres of Personal Well-bing
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Continuum of Health Wellness
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Student Health and Wellness Resources Healthy
Dores vs. SHAW vs. Salubrious Site

• Beating the Blues
• Alcohol/Drugs
• Diet/Nutrition
• Body Image
• Diversity
• Contraception/STD
• Stress Management

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Personal Well-being

• Meaning
• Sense of Control
• Identity
• Competence
• Self Esteem
• Optimism about the future
• Physical Health
• Psychological Health

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Meaningful Relationships
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Relational Well-being

• Bonding
• Support
• Collaboration
• Participation
• Respect
• Affection
• Cohesion

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Recommendations to the Administration

• Improve the infrastructure
• We commend the recent change in administrative
  structure
• Dean of Students and Dean of Commons named, to be
  directed by Provost
• Student Health and Wellness
• More resources needed for early identification,
  support
• Address differential access among groups of
  students

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Recommendations to the Administration

• Improve the infrastructure
• Work on balancing student privacy versus need to
  know
• ODC information on disabilities
• ED information on student visits Dependent upon
  the cooperation from VUMC
• Examine discrepancies/gaps in student insurance
  The Student Insurance Committee has campus-wide
  representation

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Recommendations to the Administration

• Improve/coordinate data
• To monitor the need, response, and quality
  control over time in progress
• Coordinate within-VU information
• Move to regular, universal surveys Pat Helland,
  PhD
• Participate in other national surveys CORE
  Survey
• How to make these data available to the VU
  community?

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Recommendations to the Administration

• Monitor/enhance orientation
• For students
• Undergraduate Routinely done
• Professional Upon Request
• Medical
• Nursing
• Graduate
• One general session by Invitation
• For parents of undergraduates
• The Right Mix in 06 presentation to parents
• Over VU Parents Newsletter
• For new faculty and staff

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Recommendations to the Administration

• Address the discrepancy in the alcohol policy and
  enforcement
• Recognize that repeated alcohol/drug offenses
  indicate
• Abuse and addiction issues
• High probability of accompanying mental health
  issues
• These issues have been addressed for the since
  the reorganization and are continuing to be

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Recommendations to the Administration and the
Faculty

• Improve awareness of the VU community
• Address the stigma of seeking help in progress
• Initial focus on the first responders Multiple
  training sessions in the Residence Halls for
  Resident Advisors are mentioned by Dean Bandas
• PCC Rhonda Venable

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Recommendations to the Administration and the
Faculty

• Improve knowledge of first responders
• Especially faculty Faculty Senate role
• September 2006 FS meeting
• Online training modules (e.g., Compliance, VUMC)
• New faculty orientation
• Advisor training
• Blanket mailing
• Resident Advisors and other Student Mentors
• Other ports for students
• Womens Center
• Black Cultural Center

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Questions?

• Handouts on resources
• PCC and MAPS
• SHC - Stress
• The Right Mix in 06
• Questions/suggestions?
• Please email
• c.heflinger_at_vanderbilt.edu