2025 Identifying and Responding to Students in Distress – Faculty & Staff
Identifying and Responding to Students in Distress
A Guide for Staff, Faculty and Instructors
As staff, faculty and instructors, you are often best placed to notice students in crisis or distress. Your frequent interactions with individual students might make you particularly aware of certain behaviours that signal emotional distress, and you play an instrumental role in helping the student seek and receive support. This guide will walk you through the necessary steps to identify levels of distress and respond accordingly.
More Feet on the Ground
Recognize, Respond and Refer (RRR)
The RRR model provides practical skills for staff, faculty and instructors to confidently engage with students navigating mental health challenges that may be impacting their well-being and academic success.
You can use this model to:
RECOGNIZE RESPOND REFER
signs of mental health concerns or distress.
with empathy and understanding. to appropriate campus or community resources.
Step 1
Recognize
Signs of distress can be obvious or subtle. It’s important to understand that someone displaying these symptoms may just be having an “off day”. Watch for behaviours that seem out of character or unusual for the student and persist and/or worsen over time.
Has the student reported significant problems or sought your advice? Have others expressed concerns about the student? Use these indicators to determine if the student is in distress.
Behaviour Indicators
Difficulty controlling emotions.
Changes in relationships or acting withdrawn.
Discloses or expresses distress, despair or loss.
Step 2
Respond
Physical Indicators
Decline or noticeable change in personal grooming, including both appearance and hygiene.
Excessive fatigue such as falling asleep in class or mention of sleep disturbances.
Academic Indicators
Disinterest or decline in work output or performance.
Poor concentration or change in engagement.
Increased absences or tardiness.
Safety Indicators
Statements about despair, hopelessness, self-harm or harm towards others.
Trust your judgement and check in if you have a gut feeling something is wrong. Create a supportive and non-judgmental space for the student to feel heard and valued, use supportive language to show understanding and compassion, and express concern for their well-being by referring to specific behaviors.
Respect privacy but prioritize safety. Be honest about needing to break privacy if safety is a concern and inform the student that you may share their information with a service area.
Emergency Indicators
Immediate aggressive or threatening behavior towards themselves, others, animals or property.
Appears unresponsive, out of touch with reality or acting in unpredictable ways.
I wonder if we could talk about… I have noticed… I am concerned about…
Step 3
Refer
The best way you can support a student is by connecting them to available supports and services. If the student is in distress, take action using these steps in emergency, crisis and non-crisis situations.
Remember, you do not need to navigate this alone. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or triggered after referring the student, you may benefit from support services yourself.
If you have immediate concerns about safety, call 911 and/or York Security Services (416-736-5333 or ext. 33333).
EMERGENCY
The student’s life is in imminent danger (e.g. medical emergency, active suicide attempt, danger to themselves or others).
1. Call 911 immediately.
2. If the student is on campus, please also call York Security Services at 416-736-5333 or ext. 33333.
3. Inform your direct supervisor and seek support for a debrief.
CRISIS
The student is going through a tough time due to life events that feel overwhelming, like a loss, challenge or threat. It is highly distressing and needs urgent attention but is not immediately life-threatening (e.g. expressing suicidal thoughts but has no immediate plan or intent, severe panic, agitation).
• Call or bring the student to any of these service areas.
• Inform your direct supervisor and seek support for a debrief.
Student Counselling, Health & Well-being
Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday (May 24 to August 30): 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Keele Campus
N110, Bennett Centre for Student Services 99 Ian Macdonald Boulevard 416-736-5297
Glendon Campus
B108, York Hall (YH), Student Success Centre 2275 Bayview Ave 416-487-6716
Markham Campus
Rm 2010, Student Success Centre 1 University Boulevard 416-736-5297
Office of Student Community Relations Monday – Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 416-736-5231 | oscr@yorku.ca
Keele Campus
N204, Bennett Centre for Student Services 99 Ian Macdonald Boulevard
Markham Campus
Rm 2010, Student Success Centre 1 University Boulevard
Outside of operational hours, have the student connect with either of these services (situation dependent):
Good2Talk
1-866-925-5454 or text GOOD2TALKON to 686868
Suicide Crisis Line 9-8-8
NON-CRISIS
The student is not experiencing an extreme form of distress but may benefit from resources and supports.
• Listen, show concern, be non-judgmental.
• Ask questions to gather information to determine and provide the appropriate type of referral.
• If the student is unwilling to accept a referral, respect the decision and provide contact information for York University & Community Resources.
• Inform your direct supervisor and seek support for a debrief.
York University & Community Resources
Medical Care
Keele Campus
Humber River Emergency Department 1235 Wilson Avenue
Appletree Medical Centre 4700 Keele St (York Lanes Mall)
Glendon Campus
Sunnybrook Hospital Emergency Department 2075 Bayview Avenue
Markham Campus
Markham Stouffville Hospital Emergency Department 381 Church Street
Sexual Violence Response, Support & Education
The Centre for Sexual Violence Response go.yorku.ca/the-centre 416-736-5211
Toronto Rape Crisis Centre
go.yorku.ca/trcc
416-597-8808
Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault (DASA) go.yorku.ca/dasa
Offers 24/7 supports in York Region.
Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Care Centre (SA/DVCC) go.yorku.ca/sa-dvcc
