Pathways 8 Conference

Supporting staff to support students with mental health conditions
 – J. Robilliard & L. Shugg

Institutional Dilemmas
Recognising the needs of students with mental health conditions
Raising mental health awareness amongst a large, diverse group of staff 
Engaging senior management
Encouraging staff to participate in the training
Implementing a training program 

Genesis of the Training Program
Mental Health Contact Officer (MHCO) Program was developed in response to  increasing numbers of students with mental health conditions at university, and a need to find a better way to support them in their studies:
Disclosure 
Staff inadequately trained

Objectives
Students have a single point of contact within the faculty office 
Faculty staff deal with students with mental health conditions with greater skill and sensitivity
Staff have ongoing formalised support (PD)

How did it work?
MHCO undertook training and participated in ongoing professional development
Students with mental health conditions referred to MHCO via Disability Liaison Unit
MHCO assist students with: 
faculty related administrative issues
implementation of reasonable adjustments
liaison with academic staff

Outcomes for students
Access to clearly identified person in the faculty who could sensitively facilitate students’ needs and interactions
Increased confidence in the management of confidential information 
Disclosure limited to one contact person within the faculty

Review
2004 review highlighted some anomalies:
Students who participated valued the program highly BUT declining numbers of students took up the referral to MHCO
Despite the lack of uptake by students, staff strongly valued the training program

Rebirth - Mental Health Interest Group
Staff focused professional development program 
A universal inclusive approach:
Student perspective
Staff perspective
Training
Open to all university staff
Conducted by Disability Liaison Unit & Counselling Service 
Topics covered:  understanding mental illness, DDA legislation, information management, confidentiality, duty of care, managing difficult situations, professional boundaries, referral

Ongoing Professional Development
2 sessions per year
Topics: student panels, depression and anxiety, international students and mental well being, drug and alcohol abuse, psychosis, living with mental illness

Feedback from staff
A greater awareness of possible underlying causes for student behaviour & the skill to  cope effectively with difficult situations 
Value of listening, empathy, being non-judgemental and non-confrontational
The importance of debriefing, supporting each other and learning through sharing of experiences
Recognition of professional boundaries 
we can’t answer everything
trust your own evaluation
seek advice and refer

Strengths
Covers a range of issues: mental health, DDA compliance eg. reasonable adjustments, confidentiality, duty of care
Practical approach to training: experiential and peer learning
Efficient and effective way to raise awareness and maintain momentum
Endorsed by senior management
Program can be adapted to the participants’ work environment

Challenges for the future
How to engage academic staff – time, interest? 
Should the training be mandatory for some staff  i.e. progress committees, course advisers, tutors?
How to resource and implement  the program in a large institution across geographically disparate and culturally different campuses?

Our journey continues…
How are staff supported in your institution to support students with mental health conditions? 

Contact details
For more information visit our web site at:
http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/ 
Or contact:
Jacquie Robilliard – Disability Liaison Officer
T: 03 834 47068 or 834 46904
E: j.robilliard@unimelb.edu.au 
 
Lis Shugg - Counsellor 
T:03 8344 6927/8
E: ess@unimelb.edu.au