When a Student Dies on Campus
When a student dies on a college campus, the support that may have been available in high school may not be as readily accessible. Depending on the size of the school, resources may not be disseminated in the same way or timeframe than it may have been in smaller communities. However, there are likely more resources and supports available at a college than would have been in high school. How do we let students know that support is available, and how can we let them know immediately what kinds of resources are accessible to them right away?
Use social media and email to list resources available on your campus. Some of these resources may include the counseling center, chaplains offices, resident assistants, student-run mental health clubs, support groups, and local therapists.
Hang flyers around campus with lists of coping tools that can be used immediately. Also provide information that normalizes a variety of grief responses. Remind students that taking deep breaths, exercising, writing in a journal or taking pictures of the beauty in nature are all positive ways to cope with difficult feelings.
Keep a list of resources available to students, such as mental health/grief podcasts, books and articles about coping tools, movies that show resilience, and student run radio stations that interview local guests about grief.
Offer opportunities to memorialize the student. Provide temporary private spaces for memories to be shared and support to be given and received. Caution must be paid to memorials, however, and consultation about memorials is recommended.
Invite outside professionals to support students and staff. Do not expect staff who have been affected by this loss to provide support to co-workers or students. Even if they did not know the student, this kind of support can be emotionally draining, and make it more difficult for staff to provide the ongoing counseling that is still needed. Make sure to help the helpers.
For more information, contact info@inner-harbor.org.