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Barry's Corner


March 2008

What is the counseling center prepared to do? Really! In the event, what the heck is the counseling center prepared to do? This is the question I’ve emphatically been asked several times since a shooter once again impacted a university campus at its core.

The first thing I’ve done is go to the source. I checked in with my colleague and friend, Micky Sharma, Director of the NIU counseling center, to find out how they have been doing. Dr. Sharma reported 500+ mental health professionals came to NIU from the local area to help. This was far in excess of the 350 they needed to place a professional in every classroom on the “first day back.” Dr. Sharma also reported how this terrible event has allowed him the rare opportunity to witness the best human nature has to offer as complete strangers have done the kindest things and extended themselves far beyond what anyone would ever ask. Finally, Dr. Sharma spoke of the national outpouring of support and help from other universities and colleges from all over the country.

So, what is CMHS prepared to do: First is PREVENTION! As I said in my January column, the first thing CMHS is doing to prevent such events at UConn is being good stewards of the campus community. We do this everyday by staying in close communication with colleagues when there is a student in distress so there are as few cracks as possible into which a student may fall. We are also preparing to offer comprehensive “front line” training. CMHS, along with a campus-wide coalition, is developing training for suicide prevention and training for recognizing, questioning, and referring students in distress. We want our staff, faculty, students, administrators, and parents to feel “confident to act.” If anyone on our campus is feeling concern about the well being of someone else, we want them to trust their intuition and act with confidence to connect with campus resources about their concerns. Prevention is our greatest method and communication is its greatest tool.

What else is CMHS prepared to do: Second is TRAUMA REDUCTION. In an aftermath, we will immediately outreach to our mental health professionals to extend the responsive network. We will also band together with our other campus resource offices to provide immediate and comprehensive crisis incident debriefing so the reactions to trauma and its overly toxic effects can be reduced. We will connect with our cultural centers so we are providing crisis responding that is culturally relevant to all UConn campus communities. And we will bear in mind the specific needs of friends and families in such an instance.

What we are not prepared to do is promise 100% prevention of such a terrible event unfolding on the UConn campus. We can reduce the possibility as well as act in the aftermath to reduce the terrible fallout such events would have on members of the campus community. In a free society, guarantees are hard to come by.

Be aware that CMHS, along with our student affairs colleagues, make difficult decisions and act in highly stressful situations everyday to reduce the potential for harm on our campus. Of these actions, 95% never reach broad campus awareness, nor should they. Folks are here to learn, work, and play and not to worry about safety. That is one of the reasons your counseling center is here as are our student affairs and campus safety colleagues. We’re working hard so you can enjoy the best of UConn. What are we prepared to do? Prevent and respond as best as we can!

 
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