Help a Student in Need

• Stay connected but leave space for your student to develop a support system of their own.
• If your student is phoning or texting a lot and not establishing a social support group on campus, encourage less frequent or shorter contacts. Encourage your student to get involved on campus and/or in the Kingston community.
• As your student becomes more independent, they may develop different views or ways of doing things. To reduce frustration and avoid arguments, consider saying "I'll need to think more about this – let's talk another time." This allows you time to reflect and consider their perspective while keeping the door open to future conversations.

• If your student is feeling overwhelmed after mid-terms, reassure them that they still have time to do well on final exams and assignments.
• Encourage your student to attend workshops and/or book appointments with professional learning strategists Student Academic Success Services (SASS).
• Students may also find tutoring services, available through each major faculty, helpful to boost their skills and confidence.

• There are many opportunities for students to get involved on campus, such as recreational sports and other physical activities, clubs/groups, hobbies, and volunteer opportunities. These offer students a chance to relax and make positive social connections.
• Some students may want, or depend, on a part-time job while at university. There are many job opportunities on campus that are flexible and recognize the importance of prioritizing academics.
• Many students find 10 hours a week of extracurricular/employment manageable.

• If your student is feeling homesick, you may hear from them when they are upset. Try to call when they are active and engaged, offer encouragement and focus on what is going well.
• Rather than returning home each weekend to be with friends, encourage your student to join a club, go to an event, meet regularly with others, be physically active, or study with a group.
• Encourage your student to seek friends who share similar values and academic goals which may help them consider/reconsider choices around alcohol, drugs, gambling and sexual behaviour.
• If your student is living in Residence, suggest they connect with a Don. These senior students live in residence and can often provide useful strategies to deal with troublesome issues that may come up sharing a living space with others. They may also connect with a professional Residence Life staff member.
• If your student is living off-campus, regular house meetings can help identify and resolve issues. Statements such as "I think (this is happening), I feel (in response to the situation), I wish (a suggested solution)" often keep communication lines open between housemates.

Parents and supporters often advocate for their student around mental or physical health concerns, disability issues, or personal challenges.

At Queen’s, the onus will be on the student to manage their care; therefore, please encourage them to connect with Student Wellness Services to find out more about what medical and/or mental health care can be provided.

If your student has a disability and requires accommodations, encourage them to register with Queen's Student Accessibility Services (QSAS).

• Significant changes in academic performance, including: deterioration in quality of work, frequent missed assignments, or avoidance of classroom participation
• Increased class absences or being late
• Lack of energy, or falling asleep in class
• Unusual or bizarre behaviours, including: crying, laughing to self, very rapid speech, disorganized thinking, suspiciousness
• Visible signs of distress and/or low mood
• Difficulty concentrating, difficulty carrying on normal conversation

• It's okay to ask.  Provided you are coming from a place of concern, you are likely to get a good response. It’s better to be embarrassed about asking than be remorseful about not having asked.
• Pick a good place and time to have the conversation.  Seek a quiet, private moment to talk to the student. If the student appears very agitated or if there is a safety concern, it is best to ask a colleague to be present when you meet with the student.
• Say what you see.  "I've noticed you have been missing a lot of class lately; is everything okay?" This helps when making assumptions about the student's behaviour or feelings.
• Listen.  Give the student your undivided attention and let them talk with minimal interruption. Often just a few minutes of effective listening is enough to help a student feel cared about and more confident about what to do.
• Offer hope.  Reassuring the student that things can get better can help them realize they have options and resources and that things will not always seem hopeless.
• Be prepared for the possibility of denial.  Students, like the rest of us, are not always ready to talk. If this happens, it means "not now" and that needs to be respected unless you are concerned for their, or someone else’s, immediate safety.
• Trust your instincts.  If a student denies that there is a problem, trust yourself. Let them know that you are concerned and that you want to support them if there is an issue.
• Keep the door open.  Whenever possible, the student should leave the interaction feeling safe to approach you again in the future.
• Remember your resources.  If you are uncomfortable or uncertain after your interaction with a student, you can call Student Wellness Services at 613-533-2506 for advice.

• Let students know how and when they can reach you (e.g., “I will respond to class emails Monday to Friday and you can expect to get a response within 48-72 hours”).  
• If you will be unable to respond for an extended period, let students know in advance (if possible) and offer an alternative contact if one is available (e.g., “I will be away until October 15th and will be unable to respond to email during that time.  If your question or concern is time sensitive, please connect with the course TA and/or the department”).
• If a student shares a concern or confides in you regarding something going on in their life, remain calm, provide discretion, empathize while acknowledging their feelings, and offer to connect them with support.
• Refer students to an appropriate support and/or resources.  If you need help or support with this process, please contact Student Wellness Services for advice.
• Demonstrate care and sensitivity in your interactions with students and colleagues while maintaining professional boundaries.
• If/when the climate is racially charged, be sure to show support to students who may be disproportionally impacted.

Get Help Now

Direct or Indirect Reference to Suicide

Regardless of the circumstances or context, any direct or indirect reference to suicide must be taken seriously. Please contact Campus Security (613-533-6111) if on campus, 911 if off-campus or contact Student Wellness Services if any direct or indirect references to suicide occur such as:

• Expressed feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, or helplessness
• Expressed thoughts that the world, family, or friends would be better off without them
• Expressions of powerful feelings of guilt

Many students have mentioned that they wished there was more wellness support from staff and faculty.  Here are some suggested ways to help:

Provide more wellness resources/updates

• Include one or more pre-developed Health & Wellness slides  in an onQ post, class email and/or at the start of your lectures/online notes.  These could also be posted on digital screens in your department.
• Help promote upcoming wellness-related events from student faculty associations, student clubs, and/or Student Affairs departments through class talks, posting in OnQ and/or sharing on your department social media accounts.
• Attend a mental health training available to all staff and faculty.  Our calendar also lists student-only wellness groups and events that you can promote.

Integrate optional or evaluated wellness components into your course

• Include a Wellness Learning Module such as How to Identify and Respond to Someone in Distress 
• Include pre-developed or tailored Resource Hunt for bonus marks.
• Request a professional staff or trained volunteer to do a wellness workshop/training as part of Don’t Cancel that Class.  These can be pre-booked for class lectures or scheduled last minute (24 hrs notice recommended).

If one or more of these are of interest to you, complete this 2-min survey and a staff member will connect and work with you directly.

Be understanding and flexible when students require accommodations

Students’ academics can be impacted by a variety of factors and they may require academic considerations and/or need to register with Accessibility Services (QSAS) for academic accommodations.  Accommodations may be needed due to an ongoing/chronic medical or mental health condition, reasons of faith or culture, pregnancy or family responsibilities, sex reassignment, etc.    

• Familiarize yourself with the Extenuating Circumstances process, especially as it relates to your specific Department/Faculty.
• Understand your rights & responsibilities as an Educator  in providing academic considerations and accommodations.
• Review the most up-to-date information about accommodations from Human Rights Advisory Services and Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS).

The multiple and intersecting identities carried by racialized or marginalized students (e.g. socioeconomic, immigration and ability status; sexual orientation; gender identity; and cultural background) can influence their mental, physical and emotional well-being that in turn can influence their academic studies. Additionally, Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous or People of Colour (QTBIPoC) and marginalized students are disproportionately impacted due to additional factors and stressors.  

Here are some QTBIPoC specific supports and resources that may help students

• Student Wellness Services has several specialized mental health professionals including a Cross-Cultural counsellor, Black Identified counsellor, Indigenous cultural counsellor and an LGBTQ2S+ counsellor.  Visit the Yellow House Well-Being page for more about their credentials and care approach.
• Students can access Empower Me and request culture, race, religion, gender identity/sexual orientation specific support.  Services are also offered in multiple languages by telephone and video conference.
• Find additional Cross-Cultural and QTBIPoC Supports and Resources

• Direct or indirect references to suicide or intention to harm or kill another person
• Talking explicitly about hopelessness or suicide
• Complaints about physical symptoms, including: nausea, stomach aches, headaches, or problems with eating or sleeping
• Significant changes in academic performance, including: deterioration in quality of work, frequent missed assignments, excessive procrastination, or avoidance of classroom participation
• Increased class absences or tardiness
• Listlessness, lack of energy, or falling asleep in class
• Unusual or bizarre behaviours, including: crying, laughing to self, very rapid speech, disorganized thinking, suspiciousness
• Significant weight loss or weight gain
• Marked changes in personal hygiene or dress
• Changes or disturbances in personal relationships
• Visible signs of distress and/or low mood
• Difficulty concentrating, difficulty carrying on normal conversation
• Social isolation, social withdrawal or excessive dependency on others
• Excessive sleeping, internet use/gaming
• Significant changes in personal, sexual, or cultural identity

• It's okay to ask – Provided you are coming from a place of concern, you are likely to get a good response. It’s better to be embarrassed about asking than be remorseful about not having asked
• Pick a good place and time to have the conversation – Seek a quiet, private moment to talk to your friend or roommate. If they appear very agitated or if there is a safety concern, have someone else with you when you meet
• Say what you see – "I've noticed that you seem to be less interested in eating these days; is everything okay?" This helps when making assumptions about the person's behaviour or feelings
• Listen – Give your friend or roommate your undivided attention and let them talk with minimal interruption. Often just a few minutes of effective listening is enough to help them feel cared about and more confident about what to do
• Offer hope – Reassure them that things can get better. It can help them realize they have options and resources and that things will not always seem hopeless
• Be prepared for the possibility of denial – Sometimes people are not always ready to talk. If this happens, it means "not now" and that needs to be respected unless you are concerned for their, or someone else’s, immediate safety
• Trust your instincts – If they deny there is a problem, trust yourself.  Let them know that you are concerned and that you want to support them if there is an issue
• Keep the door open – Whenever possible, your friend or roommate should leave the interaction feeling safe to approach you again in the future
• Remember your resources – If you are uncomfortable or uncertain after your interaction with your friend or roommate, you can call Student Wellness Services at 613-533-2506 for advice.

Parents and supporters often advocate for their student around mental or physical health concerns, disability issues, or personal challenges.

At Queen’s, the onus will be on the student to manage their care, therefore, please encourage them to connect with Student Wellness Services. If your student has a disability and requires accommodations, encourage them to register with Queen's Student Accessibility Services (QSAS)

Accommodations through Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) are provided based on supporting documentation from the student, the student’s first-person understanding of their experience of their disability, and an understanding of how those impacts may create barriers to their academic engagement. 

Students are not required to provide disability documentation or disclose diagnosis to instructors, TAs, or faculty administration for the purposes of implementing accommodations.  

Academic accommodations are provided for the purpose of removing barriers to equal access of learning opportunities for all students while also upholding academic integrity and allowing for standard academic challenge. Students with disabilities, like all students, are expected to meet the essential requirements of the curriculum. 

Educator Rights and Responsibilities:

Faculty and staff who are teaching students with disabilities at Queen's have the right to: 

• Determine course content and general methods of teaching.
• Ensure that the standards of the course are not lowered or compromised.
• Ensure that a student has demonstrated mastery of the essential requirements of a course in order to obtain an appropriate grade.
• Fail any student if they do not demonstrate mastery of essential course requirements.
• Seek clarification from an Accessibility Advisor or QSAS representative regarding specific accommodations. 
• Be treated with respect by all students in the course. 

Faculty and staff who are teaching students with disabilities at Queen's have a responsibility to: 

• Familiarize themselves with the Queen’s University Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Policy and Procedure.
• Recognize the requirement to support the academic accommodation process.
• Include the Queen’s Disability Statement in all course syllabi.
• Familiarize  themselves of Queen's services for supporting students with disabilities such as Student Academic Support Service, Adaptive Technology Centre, QSAS, or other faculty specific supports.
• Consult and collaborate with QSAS and students as required to ensure that accommodations are provided to remove barriers while the essential requirements of the course is also upheld.
• Support the successful implementation of academic accommodations in the classroom and during tests, quizzes, and exams.