<p>Yes, what FLVADAD said was also discussed in the TV show. One of the counselor’s said that they do not have enough staff to keep up with the demand.</p>
<p>copied from Washington and Lee website–I think there is a way to educate each student early on and to respectfully let them know they may need their parents’ involvement should difficulties arise.</p>
<p>Because Washington and Lee University is committed to the development of the whole person, a highly trained and experienced counseling staff is available to help students with a variety of difficulties that might impact not only a student’s academic work, but overall sense of well-being. University Counseling provides direct psychotherapy services, assessment of academic problems, and (with student consent) collaboration with faculty, administrative personnel, or parents to provide necessary supports for struggling students. Psychiatric consultation is also available.</p>
<p>since tomorrow is the anniversary of Vtech tragedy and the threats made at several colleges in last day or two we all need to have our eyes and ears open</p>
<p>I strongly advise every parent out there to get medical waivers signed at the beginning of each school year giving them full access to their kids records. When schools see parents who have waivers signed for academic records and medical records, they may be more inclined to call when a problem arises, if only to avoid any potential liability. If the school had a waiver(s) for this child, perhaps they could have contacted his parents when the first email came in without breaking any privacy laws. This is a tragedy that can happen to any family, even those with no known history of depression.</p>
<p>Good point FLADAD and bessie. I just read a good editorial by Mira Signer in this morning’s Richmond Times Dispatch newspaper. She is the executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Virginia. She states that Virginia ranks 39th in the country in spending on community based mental health care. While she commends Gov. Kaine and the members of the General Assembly for recently allocating 42 million dollars for the local mental health services boards, it is going to take years to overcome “decades of neglect”. </p>
<p>All colleges, college town police departments, and local mental health departments are going to need to take time to figure out how to best help their mentally fragile students. I worry about this generation of kids. They have seen so much violence, whether it be in their video game playing, TV, movies, etc. Their stress levels at this age certainly surpass their parents’.</p>
<p>Dialogue for reform is important, finger pointing and criticism serves no purpose.</p>
<p>I second bessie re medical waivers. Our student was in the health center a few weeks ago with a minor illness; he was prescribed antibiotics, etc. We received a bill for close to $100. I wanted a copy of the medical bill and the nurse/billing clerk initially refused citing HIPAA (sp?). When I reminded her that there was a notarized medical power of atty in our student’s file, she quickly faxed the info. Now I know this has nothing to do with mental health issues, but the medical power of atty obviously worked. We have also made sure we have one on file for my elderly parent as well. One can’t ever be too prepared. I urge everyone to consider this type of legal document.</p>
<p>I had a link to an article in the New York Times about proposed changes to privacy rules in a previous thread of mine called: NYT: After Campus Shootings, U.S. to Ease Privacy Rules.</p>
<p>excertps from the article:</p>
<p>“Although the law has always had a health and safety exception that allows releasing confidential information in emergency situations, many college officials have been wary of invoking it, fearful of being found to violate the federal privacy law. Even though the regulations would provide no major substantive changes, lawyers who specialize in education said they were important to the extent that they stop administrators from invoking the privacy act as an excuse for inaction. Youre the dean, you think a students in trouble, and you want to pick up the phone to call his parents or his doctor, said Sheldon Steinbach, a lawyer at Dow Lohnes in Washington. But youre worried that youre violating the law and youre going to lose all your federal funding. The safety and health provisions always been there, Mr. Steinbach continued. But these regulations provide a psychological safety net for young, risk-averse administrators.
…
The new rules would create a safe harbor for campus administrators who see a significant threat to the health or safety of a student or others and disclose confidential information to people who can respond. If, based on the information available at the time of the determination, there is a rational basis for the determination, the department will not substitute its judgment for that of the educational agency or institution in evaluating the circumstances and making its determination, the proposed regulations said.”</p>
<p>I find it hard to believe that VT wouldn’t have the resources to make at least one follow-up contact with a student who was reported to be suicidal, especially after their experience a year ago. This was negligence and incompetence to the max. And they could have alerted the parents using the health and safety exception noted above.</p>
<p>I will definitely have my son sign the medical waiver. I assume this is something that you have to see a lawyer about? How do you go about getting one.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Yes, yes, yes. The only person I knew as an undergrad who attempted suicide, did so largely because she couldn’t handle the level of pressure that her parents were putting on her to perform. </p>
<p>Parents here, being generally, as far as I can tell, good parents, assume the best about other parents. I know enough people who were abused by their parents, haven’t spoken to their parents in five years, etc. I don’t assume the best about other people’s parents.</p>
<p>Parents, make it clear to your kids before they leave for college that they can and should come to you for help if they are having trouble mentally/emotionally, that they have nothing to fear from you, that you are there for them. And then follow up on it by doing what you said, and being supportive for them, and giving them nothing to fear.</p>
<p>If the school dropped the ball, then the school dropped the ball. Not contacting the parents is not dropping the ball. That’s respect for privacy laws and respect for the fact that they don’t know the family dynamics at play. Failing to follow through with a seriously troubled student, not doing anything in response to people telling them that the student was suicidal, that’s dropping the ball.</p>
<p>I do not believe that parents should be given any sort of automatic right to know when college students are seeking medical help. That’s just going to mean a bunch of students who need mental help (or for that matter, other sorts of medical help that they don’t want parents to know they are getting) who will no longer seek it.</p>
<p>“That’s just going to mean a bunch of students who need mental help (or for that matter, other sorts of medical help that they don’t want parents to know they are getting) who will no longer seek it.”</p>
<p>I’m worried about that, too. I’ve seen a lot of kids, especially though not exclusively those with immigrant parents, whose families have strong negative cultural beliefs about mental health care. Some parents will pull the student out of school or overreact in other counterproductive ways if they find out the student sought counseling.</p>
<p>Dealing with someone with mental illness is not as simple as many want to believe. It is extremely difficult to force someone over age 18 to get help. Even if you are their parents or their children.
I have dealt with mentally ill relatives my entire life, including several mental hospital stays. Even if family feels someone is a harm to themselves it is hard to get the hospital to hold anyone for any length of time. You also have no power over your relative once they are released. The hospital releases the patient with the understanding that the patient will seek outside help. I have failed to see a hospital follow through on that. I had one family member who after a suicide attempt was forced into a 72 hour hold against their will. After 36 hours one Dr was ready to release the patient. A outside therapist pushed the issue and the patient was forced to stay the entire 72 hours. In our case I have also noticed that the hospital stay is little more then watching over them until that suicide threat passes. No real work is done. After release the patient agreed to get some help but on their terms not on the terms the rest of the family wanted. The family has no say in treatment the patient is considered an adult and if the state does not believe the patient is in danger of harming themselve or others at that moment there is little anyone can do.
I also know several young people who while not even close to being suicidal are depressed and the parents are not taking the clue to get their kids a therapist mainly due to denial or not wanting or being able to afford treatment. Therapy can be expensive and most insurance companies have limts on visits and payment.</p>