Referral Guidance - Counseling and Consultation

If you are in an emotional crisis, please do not rely on e-mail for help.  Come to CCS (906-227-2980) in the WellBeing Center room 101. If in doubt, ask a counselor if counseling or further personal consultation might be beneficial for your specific concern or situation. If you or someone else are in crisis and need emergency services after hours, call Public Safety at 906-227-2151 or UP Health System Marquette (906) 449-3560, and access more information on Crisis Resources in the link provided.

Dial 988 for Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Help

NMU Counseling and Consultation Services (CCS) provides personal counseling for enrolled NMU students free of charge. Our mission is to maintain and enhance students' psychological and emotional well-being so they can successfully achieve their academic goals. To learn more about the CCS Vision, click here.

Appropriate reasons to see a counselor include depression or "blues," self-destructive thoughts, anxiety, traumatic experiences, homesickness, trouble in relationships, substance problems, problematic eating patterns, and low self-esteem.

Faculty and staff may be the first one to notice changes in students which could signal psychological distress. Some changes in behaviors and moods that suggest psychological distress are:

• Withdrawing from social interactions
• Increase in use of substances
• Increased tendency to get into arguments with others
• Indiscriminate sexual involvement with multiple partners
• Increase in other risk-taking behaviors
• Missing classes
• Inability to concentrate and lethargic mood
• Falling GPA
• Any self-destructive behaviors
• Becoming very pessimistic or hopeless in topics of conversation
• Preoccupation with, or references to, death (suicide or homicide)
• Weight loss or gain or changes in sleep patterns (up all hours of the day or night, or excessive sleeping)
• Unusual or bizarre responses like talking off the subject or rambling

Counseling and Consultation Services provides consultation for any staff member who needs assistance with:

• Assessing the seriousness of a situation
• Clarifying your own concerns and feelings about the situation
• Choosing an effective approach for interacting with the student
• Identifying the best way to facilitate the student's use of counseling services

Note: When referring students for counseling, if the student has ingested any dangerous substance, or if the student is impaired due to a substance, refer him/her/them to community hospital resources at 906-228-9440 or NMU Police Department at 906-227-2151. When an on-campus student seems to be at risk for self-destructive behavior patterns you can also inform Housing and Residence Life so they can address the problem in the residence hall. See below for a list of resources by topic.

The more symptoms observed, the more likely the individual is to be distressed. Appropriate actions to take with distressed students include:

• Always talk with the student in private, if possible. Inform the student about the confidential, free counseling services. Have the phone number ready (906-227-2980).
• Check it out. Ask the student how he/she/they is/are. Possible statements: 
  • "I'm worried about you."
  • "I'm wondering what's going on that might be upsetting you." 
  • "It sounds as though you have been under stress, aren't doing very well, and need to talk with someone about this. I would suggest you see someone at the Counseling and Consultation Services. I could call and help you make arrangements right now. What do you think about that?"
• Reinforce the person for confiding in you and maintain a non-judgmental and accepting manner.
• Acknowledge and empathize with the student's pain, and give the student time to express him/her/themself.
• When the problem requires more than general support and encouragement, indicate in a gentle but direct manner that professional assistance is a positive step.
• Any type of message about suicide should be taken seriously. If you believe a student is in imminent danger of harming him/her/themself, immediately contact NMU Police Department at 911.
• If you are hearing statements or hints about suicide from a student, keep in mind that professionals assess suicide potential, in part, by asking if the person has a plan for suicide. They ask exactly how it will happen and when they intend to carry out the plan. They also ask if the person has ever attempted suicide in the past. The more specific and lethal the plan, the more recent a previous attempt, and the greater the ability to carry out the plan, the higher the risk for an actual suicide. Emergency services may be needed (NMU Police Department or 911).
• It is appropriate for any campus professional to ask these questions. Many students think about suicide as a way to resolve overwhelming problems. They may just need a chance to talk about their feelings, and some hope that the problems can be solved.
• You can also show the student our web page titled CCS Guide to Services with all the information a student needs to understand what to expect from the center.

When you or the student contacts CCS by phone we will ask the student to come to our office to do some paperwork and make an appointment. We will schedule the student for the next available appointment. Referrals do not guarantee that the student will become a client of the CCS since it is the student's responsibility to attend the appointment once it is scheduled. Due to our responsibility to maintain confidentiality, we are unable to provide information to the referring staff member about the student's status. Please follow up with the student.

Note: Counseling and Consultation Services does not contact students to encourage them to come in for counseling. Sometimes a friend or staff member comes along to offer support, but the student with the problem is the one who signs the consent form and chooses counseling. Counseling is a safe, trusting relationship that empowers clients and facilitates healthy choices for the future.