Hi Jamie,
I fully agree with everything that you say about faculty and staff training because I suspect you are right that there is no silver bullet for this particular problem.
Also, thanks for the link to mental health resources. It reveals their administrative resources. I don't know the relevant facts, but it would surprise if the 2 psychiatrists listed were in-house, full-time staff rather than part-time affiliates. I could
be wrong. But no student that I have ever sent to Health Services has been able to obtain access to a psychiatrist. The standard pattern is that they are sent away with an appointment card for some later date. Therein lies a problem since there is often no
one monitoring the student's well-being during that temporal interval. As mentioned, few students have local GP's, admittedly, for reasons that are beyond SFU's control.
I am no longer on Senate and am not reading Senate minutes. But it would be my hope that this issue is raised routinely during question period by faculty and student senators.
Also, if you have a link to a recent incident I would appreciate it. The faculty and staff members in my Department take student mental health issues very seriously, but we have heard nothing. We would like to be fully informed.
Finally, thanks for raising it on this forum.
Best,
Sam
Sam Black
Assoc. Prof. Philosophy, SFU
From: Jamie Scott
Sent: October 14, 2018 10:42:18 PM
To: Sam Black
Cc: Nancy Forde; David Macalister; James Fleming; academic-discussion (academic-discussion@sfu.ca); englprofs-l@sfu.ca
Subject: Re: Incident Oct. 3
Hi Sam
I never meant to imply that faculty or staff should act as healthcare professionals. But currently faculty and staff don’t know how to respond to mental health & safety situations at all! And that’s because the policies supporting these interventions are
lacking, and we are not receiving proper training based on those (currently missing) policies. In addition, as you’ve noted, SFU’s mental healthcare workers (2 psychiatrists, 2 mental health nurses, 1 clinical psychologist & 11 counsellors) & other resources
need to be expanded. You can find a list of them here https://www.sfu.ca/students/health/contact-us/meet-the-team.html
It’s my contention that simply expanding MH services, while helpful, is not enough. Everyone who serves students on the SFU campuses should receive training on all the ways we, as staff, contract workers and faculty, can support our students. For instance,
that means knowing (1) whom to send a distressed student to for help, or (2) how to direct distressed parents when they ask about a child who may be at risk, or (3) every semester for every classroom, how to evacuate it, and how to get help quickly if needed,
and to share that info with your students. We all need to improve our knowledge & readiness for the unexpected!
Jamie
Sent from my iPhone
Jamie K. Scott, MD, PhD
Hi All,
This discussion is long overdue.
We have known for quite a while that the mental health resources available for students at SFU -- many of whom are living far away from family -- are hopelessly inadequate. I believe Health Services currently has one psychologist to handle all affective
disorders. This includes very serious cases that may not quite meet the threshold for a clear and present danger to the student's life.
My understanding is that other Canadian schools (like Memorial) have been far more pro-active in experimenting with ways to safeguard the most vulnerable members of their student body.
Having a better-trained and more sensitive faculty would, I agree with Prof. Scott, be a step in the right direction. But no matter how much better trained we become the fact remains that we are not Health-Care professionals. Speaking personally, I experience
a terrible, sinking feeling whenever I intervene in the lives of very depressed and distressed students. I have no relevant qualifications. I get involved when they reach out only because they have so few available medical options on Campus, and in Vancouver
more generally. Most of them don't even have GP's.
Best,
Sam Black
Sam Black
Assoc. Prof. Philosophy, SFU
Dear folks
I should add that MBB has had to develop its own policy on what profs should do when there’s a suicide. Lisa Craig did this on her own, as MBB’s UCC chair, and with feedback from the administration. SFU’s administration doesn’t have such a policy; it
said it’s working on one last spring, but, to my knowledge, nothing has been circulated to the faculties yet. These issues, regarding the lack of continuity around students’ safety & security across campus, should be addressed ASAP.
I’d like to point out that the SFU administration has dedicated $3M/year x 3 years on the “student experience”. Most of the planning for it was done by the administration in collaboration with students. From what I can tell, none of its working groups
are focused on “professional development” of faculty & staff around the student experience, and creating consistent policy/governance regarding students across campus.
Currently, the “cultural” perspective on students, and their role & rights in the university varies hugely across academic & research units. Most units don’t have constitutions defining their governance, nor where students fit into the local “culture”
of a unit. Tenure-track faculty are typically not trained to teach, nor are any faculty or staff taught ethical behavior in dealing with students, or how to deal with problems they may be facing, including their security.
In applying for grants these days, I routinely have to pass “professional development” learning modules on how to treat collaborators, study subjects, and animals ethically.
Similarly, SFU could make some 1-time expenditures to develop consistent policy and implementation strategies around how we, as faculty, staff & contract workers, can enhance the student experience by acting in well-articulated, shared practices & attitudes
that are consistent across campus. That professional development should include training on the issues of security that have arisen recently.
Sorry for the long rant!
Best to you all
Jamie
Sent from my iPhone
Jamie K. Scott, MD, PhD
I learned of this from a family member on social media. I was stunned not to have heard of it from SFU. I would like to know what type of first aid and consoling services the students were/are being provided. I would also know if there are ways that
we as faculty can be trained to cope with such situations.
Please let me / us know if your inquiries get anywhere and, if not, whom we can also pressure to get answers.
Best wishes,
Nancy
Nancy Forde
Professor of Physics
I completely agree. I contacted Mark Lalonde, the university’s risk manager, asking why no statement has gone out. So far, I have not received a response. Very disappointing.
David MacAlister
Director, School of Criminology
SFU
Sent from my iPhone
Dear colleagues,
We are getting media reports of a serious, violent incident more than a week ago during an SFU English class. As far as I am aware, neither faculty, nor our students, have been informed about this event by university administrators, at any level. In my opinion
this is shocking, and incompetent. Our students are asking questions on social media as to why they have been kept in the dark.
For what it's worth. JDF
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