I'm writing as a parent and concerned citizen. In light of recent shootings and violence at our schools, both on and off campus, I decided to put some of my thoughts in writing. I'm hoping that you may have feedback about the suggestions I've raised and what can be done. I'm reaching out to others in government and colleges.
Raising awareness may help to make positive changes in the lives of our young adults.
After the tragedy of Gus Deeds’ (Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds’ son) suicide and the stabbing of Creigh Deeds I started thinking about the timing and had thought that Gus Deed's issues and challenges didn't start on that Monday when there was no bed available for him. In addition, a hospital stay is most likely a temporary fix and not the end of a crisis. However, a hospital stay can at least be an entry point into the system in order to provide the necessary support for one suffering from mental illness.
I learned that Gus Deeds dropped out of school the month before his death.http://www.usnews.com/... I don’t know if this was a factor in Gus Deeds’ suicide, but I paused and thought about what he might have been going through. This may not have applied to him, but may apply to other students with or without a diagnosed mental illness.
Knowing how stressful college is, dropping out of school during the semester can mean that the student is overwhelmed and without any easy exit plan. An individual can be disappointed in him or herself, feel a sense of hopelessness and ultimately feel like a failure. Students need to know they have options. I would hope that colleges would provide support such as counseling, support for transition, and help students find alternative opportunities (i.e. vocational training, learning a trade, or working as an apprentice). Ideally, schools and colleges could reach out to students who don't access services on their own while adhering to student confidentiality and privacy concerns. Sometimes students do not see a way out (especially well into the semester).
I have concerns about violence. Not only guns. Awareness is lacking.
On February 12, 2013 in College Park, MD, Dayvon Green, a University of Maryland graduate student, killed his roommate, wounded another roommate and then killed himself. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...). At the time, my son was living a block away from where the tragedy took place. After the College Park shooting, I talked with family and friends about what could have prevented the tragedy. I relayed some of these thoughts to Dr. Clement, Vice President of Student Affairs at the University of Maryland. I learned in the Washington Post that one victim (one of Dayvon’s roommates) had talked with friends about his situation. This made me think that awareness about what to do in a difficult living situation was not really known. When I talked to Dr. Clement about this, she said that there are many places students can go for help. We talked about how reaching parents is important. Parents need to know how to direct their children as to when or where to turn. That is, if children confide in their parents.
Raising awareness across the board is what is needed. In my conversation with Dr. Clement I brought up The Red Flag Campaign as an example for raising awareness. This is an educational tool, supplying students with “a list of warning signs for potentially abusive relationships.” An awareness campaign about signs of mental illness could be helpful, especially for students living with roommates on or off campus. Here is the link for the red flag campaign. http://www.theredflagcampaign.org/. The Red Flag Campaign is a project of the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Action Alliance and was created with support of the Verizon Foundation.
Here is what my family and friends and I have discussed:
Knowing what is NOT acceptable and must not be ignored. Instead of after the fact saying “(he) was sick, or “(he) had a mental illness,” or “What a tragedy.”
Maybe friends, and others need to take some responsibility (or learn that they CAN help) and not just stand by and be afraid to get involved. This could be done anonymously.
Public school teachers have in-service training, and know their obligations (reporting child abuse, and neglect.)
Around the time of the shooting, in President Obama’s State of the Union address he pointed out the off duty policeman who took down a shooter at a Sikh Temple and suffered many gunshots. He said, “That's what we're made of." Obama said, "We're citizens, that's what citizens do."
Young people think they can solve their problems, but may not know when to seek guidance. I think in the case of Dayvon Green, awareness was lacking. Awareness may have been lacking in the case of Elliot Rodger from the recent California rampage. Maybe Rodger’s roommates didn’t know what the red flags were. Were they aware that Rodger had accumulated guns? Aware of their son’s disturbing behavior, Rodger’s parents provided him with mental health support, but who monitors a 22 year old’s compliance with medication when he’s living outside the home?
Back to Dayvon Green. Maybe it was ignorance because no one knew that the situation was urgent, out of their control, and to seek help. Dayvon’s roommate who was killed thought he could handle it, or may even have tried to help Dayvon. (Not knowing when its too big to handle yourself.) Young adults (and all people) need to know when to seek help. If the roommates had had Dayvon’s family contact information they could have alerted them. I read that Dayvon’s uncle was alarmed and said if he knew that Dayvon had guns he would have done something. Roommates can't monitor medication, but they could notify parents if they notice a change in behavior or if they have any concerns. Dayvon didn't have to kill himself or his roommate. He needed help and it appears no one knew or could give him support when he was going downhill fast. Emergency contact information for people you share a home with is a good idea, and with permission, parents could have housemates’ contact numbers for emergencies.
Students need some guidance. It can be difficult to live with someone with a serious mental illness. The living situation may become more difficult for both students and their roommates while dealing with life stresses including everyday demands and more and more intense academic challenges. Dayvon’s roommates probably did not know what was happening, that his behavior was escalating, or how to handle the situation. Universities and colleges could help them understand problem signs of mental illness (even for just depression or eating disorders). There are many ways universities and colleges can educate, provide resources and help their students.* Knowing where to turn and when a problem is too large is key. Awareness is the beginning of having some control and being able to make intelligent choices. What about an awareness campaign for young adults? "Home free,” “Home Sweet Home,” or “SAFE at home?” Knowing is key, but how do we get it across?
We need to change the climate at these schools by raising awareness and giving students a clear avenue to go to for support when they have concerns. After all, some shootings have been averted due to school administrations’ focus on changing school climates and educating their students about where and when to seek help.
* How Colleges can help
Inservice all faculty and staff, including Resident Life about warning signs of mental illness and what faculty and staff can do.
Develop a list of warning signs for faculty, staff and students
Provide a list of warning signs to off-campus housing management and landlords.
Offer mental health counseling services and make those services easily accessible.
Include information about mental health services on campus at orientations (for Incoming Freshman and Transfer Students) and at student fairs in the beginning and throughout the semester.