Fear and Loathing In the Classroom…Violence Safety Issues on Ca.ppt

Counseling and Psychological Services How to Contact Us Dr. James Oelschlager Director/Licensed Psychologist joelschl@ Dr. Robyn Coombs Assistant Director/Licensed Psychologist rcoombs@ Fear and Loathing In the Classroom… Violence Safety Issues on Campus James R. Oelschlager, Psy.D. Director, Counseling Psychological Services Robyn Coombs, Psy.D. Assistant Director, Counseling Psychological Services September 3, 2008 Counseling and Psychological Services Counseling and Psychological Services Is a college a safe place to work? 2001 Bureau of Justice Statistics report on “Violence in the Workplace (1993-1999)” found that employees of colleges/universities had the LOWEST victimization rate (1.6 per 1,000 persons) of the occupations examined ! Police officers had the highest rate of experiencing a workplace violent crime Mental health professionals had the second highest rate Bottom Line: Security and CAPS are your buffers ! Counseling and Psychological Services Mental Health Challenges at College Nearly 18 million students attend colleges/universities More students are asking for help More students are presenting with acute or serious disturbances More students are matriculating with psychological disorders More students are matriculating with learning disabilities and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Campus administrators are turning to mental health services to attempt to address these issues. College counseling centers are challenged by staffing and funding issues to address this increase in request for services. Counseling and Psychological Services The College Experience Over thePast 15 Years: Cause for Concern Depression doubled 45% of students self report depression Suicidal behavior tripled 10% of students report suicidal ideation Sexual assaults quadrupled 44% binge drink Is college the best years of your life? (Adapted from Kasdin, 2005) Counseling and Psychological Services CAPS’ Position on Campus Violence “F