CAMPUS LIFE AND SAFETY AND SECURITY (CLASS) TASK FORCE 2008 fINAL Report

Subcommittee Reports - Counseling

Scope of Work
Current Assessment
Counseling Recommendations
Recommendations to Other Subommittees
Resources

Scope of Work
The charge of the Counseling Subcommittee is to review and evaluate current methods for identifying and counseling troubled students/employees and make recommendations as needed.

During the initial CLASS meeting, Dr. Roger Webb, president of the University of Central Oklahoma, posed a great question to task force members: Should the CLASS Task Force focus on incidents that occur with greater frequency (such as alcohol-fueled violence, chemical dependency and student depression) but typically have limited impact on the campus community or on high-impact incidents (such as the shootings at Virginia Tech) that are rare by all standards but create incredible heartache and disruption? The Counseling Subcommittee has chosen to consider both because, if left unchecked, students dealing with acute or chronic alcohol and drug abuse, untreated mental illness and other serious problems may have a greater propensity for violence.

If there was any clear message in the reports on the shootings at Virginia Tech, college and university staff must attend to students in crisis in a timely and professional manner not only to help the person involved, but to also help protect the larger community. Our committee focused on the availability and training of campus mental health professionals, community referral resources and partnerships with other campus constituents in recognizing and responding to students in distress.

BACK TO LIST

Current Assessment

1. Oklahoma is in a mental health crisis. Campus and community counseling resources are inadequate to serve either students or staff in need.

Due to inadequate funding, the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) restricts its services to those individuals who are 18 years of age and older, have incomes less than 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines and have a critical need. Individuals with depression classified as less than severe, adjustment issues or symptoms other than severely incapacitating are typically not provided services due to this lack of funding. ODMHSAS always provides mental health services for those in crisis or those who display suicidal or homicidal ideations.

These services are provided through 15 community mental health centers (CMHC) and their satellites which cover all areas of the state. With that said, CMHCs provided more than $1.5 million in charitable services last year, over and above their contract, for which there was no funding.

We know that Oklahoma has the highest prevalence rate of mental illness in the country, at 11.4 percent. The National Institute of Mental Health found that, unlike most disabling physical diseases, mental disorders are the chronic diseases of the young. Half of all lifetime cases begin by age 14; three-quarters (3/4) have begun by age 24. Persons with mental illness have an increased risk for diabetes, heart disease, obesity and associated organ failure. Research indicates that people with mental illness die, on average, 25 years younger than people without mental illness.

In Oklahoma, an estimated 215,296 low-income adults are in need of mental health and/or substance abuse treatment each year. Of this number only one-third (1/3) receive services that are provided or funded by ODMHSAS or the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. Treatment for addiction and mental illness is as successful as treatment for other chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and asthma. Most importantly, prevention, early intervention and treatment help return the individual to productive functioning in the family, workplace and community (Carrie Slatton-Hodges, Deputy Commissioner of Mental Health).

2. Many colleges and universities, especially small campuses in rural communities and career technology campuses, have no or too few professionally trained counselors.

The counseling survey results show that most “counselors” serve as academic counselors and are not trained to recognize, diagnose or treat forms of mental illness or drug and alcohol abuse or addiction. The counseling survey respondents noted 427 academic counselors on campuses statewide, (typically with a bachelor’s degree) but only 57 licensed professional counselors working in higher education statewide and only six licensed and four certified alcohol and drug counselors working in our career technology centers, colleges and universities. While Oklahoma colleges on average graduate 103 students with counseling or related degrees per year, many of these new social workers choose to work outside higher education.

Oklahoma university graduate preparation programs do not produce enough counselors to meet current demand, much less future demand. These programs must be expanded. Initiatives may need to be offered to meet demand.

University	Degree Program	Degree Code	Program Code	CIP	Five-year average of degrees conferred
University of Oklahoma	Ph.D. - Counseling Psych	04	040	420601	6.0
	Ph.D. - INST PSY & Tech	04	056	421801	2.6
	MS - Psychology	02	195	420101	7.8
	Ph.D. - Psychology	04	196	420101	6.0
	MSW - Social Work	02	211	440701	103.8
Northeastern State University	MS - Counseling Psych	02	019	420601	22.4
Oklahoma State University	MS - Ed. Psych	02	068	421707	15.2
	Ph.D. - Ed. Psych	04	070	421701	15.6
	MS - Psychology	02	177	420101	7.6
	Ph.D. - Psychology	04	178	420101	7.2
Northwestern Oklahoma State University	Counseling Psychology	02	043	420601	11.4
Southwestern Oklahoma State University	School Psychology	02	148	421701	0.4
University of Central Oklahoma	MA - Psychology	02	171	420101	18.0

Drug and alcohol counselors will need to be licensed, rather than just certified, by 2010. While current practitioners may be grandfathered in, counselor education in this specialty is woefully inadequate. Southwestern Oklahoma State University has a new program for drug and alcohol counseling at the graduate level. Oklahoma State University is developing plans for a drug and alcohol counselor licensure program. By way of example, new funding needed for this academic program is $90,000.

BACK TO LIST

Counseling Recommendations

Reduce waiting time between crisis recognition and access to quality care on or off campus.
The state of Oklahoma should carefully examine the adequacy of outpatient and inpatient care facilities for mental health and drug and alcohol addiction. Availability of “beds” is particularly problematic in rural areas.
Place a greater emphasis on treating individuals with mental illness and drug and alcohol issues (prevention) rather than warning mechanisms (response).
Make the hiring of licensed counselors and psychologists a priority for all campuses.
Generate new funding for drug and alcohol counseling degree and/or licensure programs to increase the number of qualified professionals in the state.
Improve management of the alcohol and/or drug use and abuse cases to reduce incidents of violence on campus. The literature noting the connection between violence and alcohol is clear.
Campuses need to be in full compliance with the Drug Free School and Community Act of 1989. The Drug Free School and Community Act of 1989 established the need for colleges and universities to hire or make available counseling services for staff and faculty (drug and alcohol and other issues). Compliance with the Biennial Review component of the act will help identify strengths and weaknesses of drug- and alcohol-related programs and services.
Counselors and other administrators must be knowledgeable regarding FERPA provisions for communicating critical information in an emergency. OSRHE should engage in training to reduce uncertainty regarding compliance with FERPA or HIPAA or other applicable federal or state laws.
Design the Legal Issues in Oklahoma Conference to attract a broader range of university personnel. Legal compliance is also a part of the Counseling Subcommittee’s online resource.
Promote parental notification and involvement as needed (in compliance with FERPA regulations).
Establish and maintain a resource Web site through OSRHE to assist all Oklahoma universities, colleges and career technology centers with staff development.
OSRHE should help coordinate the development and delivery of training modules that can be offered across the state for counselors, law enforcement officers, security personnel administrators and other staff. The following topics were noted in the literature and survey responses:
- Threat assessment training
- Recognizing students in distress
- Making appropriate referrals
- Psychological first aid
- Critical incident stress management
- Crisis response team development and training
- Peer counseling and FEMA’s Community Emergency Response Team Training for students
- The role of counselors in disaster mitigation, planning, response and recovery

BACK TO LIST

Recommendations to Other Subcommittees

Laws and Policies

Ban weapons on all campuses with the following exceptions: (i.) any personnel or property designated by university police for the use and possession of firearms (i.e. campus security and classes in military science, criminal justice, gunsmithing, etc.) and (ii.) a person storing a firearm in their vehicle on campus if they are in full compliance with the Oklahoma Self Defense Act.

Funding

Seek critical state funding to increase mental health and drug and alcohol abuse care, evaluation, detox and counseling facilities.
Increase funding to colleges and universities for counselor education to expand counselor preparation and drug and alcohol licensure programs (LADC).
Provide resources for mental health professionals at career technology centers and community colleges (eligible for licensure).
Request $100,000 be allocated by the Legislature to help develop modules and training (see above for list of suggested topics) for career technology centers, colleges and universities. OSRHE could hold the money in trust and accept proposals for programs. The money would be used to cover program development, transportation costs of presenters, speaking fees, reproduction of materials, advertising costs and refreshments at the event.
Build and maintain a Web-based resource library on campus safety and related topics ($10,000).

BACK TO LIST

Resources
The Counseling Subcommittee has gathered numerous articles and documents that we believe will be of value to higher education practitioners across Oklahoma. They focus attention on best practices and research conducted on violence, alcohol and drug abuse, counselor intervention, clarification of laws and policies related to emergency situations, threat assessment and related topics.

Preventing violence in higher education: a review of the literature
Research on school-based violence prevention programs has almost exclusively focused on primary and secondary education settings or, if in higher education, has focused predominately on sexual assault prevention. The existing literature on violence prevention in higher education is mostly limited to recommendations and descriptions of exemplary prevention programs. The following publications offer recommendations for preventing violence on college campuses:

Langford, L. (2004). Preventing violence and promoting safety in higher education settings: overview of a comprehensive approach.

Principles for designing effective campus violence interventions: Interventions should be prevention-focused, comprehensive, planned and evaluated, strategic and targeted, research-based, multi-component, coordinated and synergistic, multi-sectorial and collaborative, and supported (by infrastructure, institutional commitment, and systems).

Campus and community teams should do the following:
1. Use multiple, coordinated and sustained intervention approaches designed to achieve synergy among program components.
2. Engage in a “problem analysis” to assess local problems and resources, which will inform specific goals and objectives.
3. Draw on existing research, theory and logic to decide which strategies might work to solve the targeted problems.
4. Create a logic model and program plan.
5. Build infrastructure to support planning and implementation efforts, including partnerships and collaboration, institutional support, and systems.
6. Evaluate programs, policies and services and use results for improvement.
Exemplary prevention programs: University of Northern Colorado – Multicomponent Approach to Campus Violence; West Virginia University – The Center for the Prevention of Violence Against Women; Cornell University – University Counseling and Advising Network.
Higher Education Center for AOD Abuse and Violence Prevention (2002). Interpersonal violence and alcohol and other drug use.

Koss and Gaines (1993) found alcohol to be one of the most significant contributors to sexual aggression among male college students. Also, in a study of victims of sexual aggression, 68 percent of their male assailants had been drinking at the time of the attack.

Several studies estimate that between 50 and 80 percent of violence on campus is alcohol-related.

Students who do not drink but live on campuses with high levels of drinking are at twice the risk of being assaulted in comparison to campuses with lower levels of drinking.

Strategies for institutions of higher education:
- Promote alcohol- and drug-free social recreational and extracurricular options and public service.
- Create a social, academic and residential environment that promotes healthy social norms.
- Restrict marketing and promotion of alcohol.
- Limit availability and access.
- Enforce campus policies and state and local laws.
Carr, J. L. (2005). American College Health Association campus violence white paper.

ACHA Campus Violence Committee Recommendations:
- Offer students alcohol- and smoke-free residence halls.
- Build a sense of community.
- Enforce codes of conduct.
- Implement tougher sanctions, including expulsion/suspension for serious misconduct.
- Create zero-tolerance policies for campus violence.
- Review the handling of rape cases.
- Disclose information about registered sex offenders on campus.
- Encourage bystander interventions.
- Warn students about criminal activity at orientation, through the campus newspaper, in residence halls and through campus Internet communication devices.
- Screen out students who pose a real threat.
- Create classroom disruption policies addressing harassment and intimidation.
- Create or strengthen a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender campus office.
- Create a safe space for LGBT and non-LGBT dialogue and interaction.
- Actively recruit and retain heterosexual allies for LGBT students.
- Provide trainings for public safety officers on LGBT issues and concerns and anti-LGBT violence.
- Create a campus-wide response to hate crimes.

• Prothrow-Smith, D. (2007). Keynote Address: Making campuses safer communities for students.

Resource List

Mental Health and Substance Abuse

College of the Overwhelmed: The Campus Mental Health Crisis and What to Do About It, Richard Kadison and Theresa Foy Digeronimo, 2004, Jossey-Bass
Licensure and Certification for Oklahoma Alcohol and Drug Counselors: Statutes, www.oar.state.ok.us/viewhtml/38_10-7-2.htm
Interpersonal Violence and Alcohol and Other Drug Use, Higher Education Center for AOD Abuse and Violence Prevention, 2002, www.higheredcenter.org/pubs/factsheets/fact_sheet4.html
"Responding to Troubled and At-Risk Students: Best Practices," Gary Pavela, Oct. 2007, The Pavela Report: Law and Policy in Higher Education
"Student Suicide and Colleges' Liability," Robert Smith and Dana Fleming, April 20, 2007, Chronicle of Higher Education
Questions and Answers on College Student Suicide: A Law and Policy Perspective, Gary Pavela, 2007, College Administrators Publications
"Falling Through the Cracks – Virginia Tech and the Restructuring of College Mental Health Services," Miriam Shuchman, July 12, 2007, New England Journal of Medicine 357:2
"Where Can College Students Turn for Counseling?" Jeffrey MacDonald, Sept. 20, 2007, USA Today

Resources from College Campuses

Students in Distress, Oklahoma State University, www.okstate.edu/ucs/studentdistress.html
Evaluation of Psychological Services Protocols: Committee Report, University of Georgia, September 2007, www.uga.edu/EPSP_Report.pdf
Sample University Emergency Plans, Integrative Center for Homeland Security at Texas A&M University, http://homelandsecurity.tamu.edu/safe-schools
Texas A&M University Crisis Incident Response Team, http://cirt.tamu.edu

Lessons from Virginia Tech

Mass Shootings at Virginia Tech: Report of the Review Panel, Virginia Tech Review Panel, August 2007, www.governor.virginia.gov/TempContent/techPanelReport-docs/FullReport.pdf
Report to the President on Issues Raised by the Virginia Tech Tragedy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, June 13, 2007, www.hhs.gov/vtreport.html
"How Not to Respond to Virginia Tech – I," Karen Bower, Inside Higher Ed, May 1, 2007, www.insidehighered.com/views/2007/05/01/bower
"How Not to Respond to Virginia Tech – II," Brett Sokolow, Inside Higher Ed, May 1, 2007, www.insidehighered.com/views/2007/05/01/sokolow

Response in the Aftermath of a Campus Crisis

College Student Death: Guidance for a Caring Campus, Rosa Cintròn, Erin Taylor Weathers and Katherine Garlough, 2007, ACPA
"Educational Performance and Persistence of Bereaved Students," Heather Servaty-Seib, March/April 2006, Journal of College Student Development
Crisis Management: Responding From the Heart, Kristin Harper, Brent Paterson and Eugene Zdziarski II, 2006, NASPA

Additional Professional Publications and Campus Safety Resources

Creating and Maintaining Safe College Campuses: A Sourcebook for Enhancing and Evaluating Safety Programs, Jerlando Jackson and Melvin Cleveland Terrell, 2007, Stylus Publishing
Preventing Violence and Promoting Safety in Higher Education Settings: Overview of a Comprehensive Approach, Linda Langford, 2004, www.higheredcenter.org/pubs/violence.html
American College Health Association's Campus Violence White Paper, J.L. Carr, 2005, www.acha.org/info_resources/Campus_Violence.pdf
Campus Safety Magazine, www.campussafetymagazine.com
"FERPA and Campus Safety," National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA), Aug. 6, 2007, Vol. 5, No.4, www.nacua.org/documents/ferpa1.pdf
National Campus Security Summit, 2007, University of Central Oklahoma, the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, May 30, 2007, http://campussecuritysummit.uco.edu

BACK TO LIST