Coping with Crisis Situations . . . .

Assisting students and one another in response to recent events [from Lynn M. Roeder, Assistant Vice Chancellor/Director, East Carolina University, 12 September 2001]

In light of the acts of terrorism that occurred in New York and Washington, D.C. yesterday, the Center for Counseling and Student Development would like to offer the university community some information about what kinds of reactions may warrant seeking counseling support.  We can all play a role in helping our students and one another deal with these unthinkable events to facilitate healing and recovery.
 

• A crisis situation is one in which an individual's typical coping responses don't work or may be less effective than usual.

 
• An individual's response to a crisis is very personal. We must be careful not to judge another's response, especially if it's different from our own.

 
• The thoughts, feelings, and behaviors experienced may be in response to the event at hand as well as previous (and potentially unresolved) events from the past.

 
• A sense of anxiety and panic would be absolutely predictable in response to yesterday's events. There is so much we don't know; trying to find answers to explain such a tragedy is normal. Without available explanations, the attempt to find answers may take on a sense of desperation and seem frantic in nature. We can help by allowing people to identify and discharge all the questions, fears, and uncertainties going through their heads. It's important to validate the concerns rather than talk people out of them. Remember, in crisis situations, some people may not respond in their typical rational way.

 
• In crisis situations, we can help people by engaging in a problem solving approach. This would include identifying the issues and then going through a step-by-step process to identify possible solutions for resolving the problem. For example, the concern may be that the student has a family member who works in the World Trade Center or Pentagon. The need is to know if that family member is all right. The problem solving steps are to find various ways to communicate with the family member or someone else who will know if the person is okay. Also identify what the person can and cannot do, what's within their control?

 
• Let students know the resources available on campus. These would include their faculty, advisors, campus ministers, counseling center staff, RA's/coordinators and their fellow students.

 
• It is often helpful for people to just be with one another during a time of crisis. Saying the "right" words isn't the most important thing; feeling connected to people close to you is more important.

Feel free to contact the ECU counseling center at 328-6661 if you have any questions or would like to refer a student to the center.  We have drop-in appointments available from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM for students in crisis. There is a staff member on-call after normal business hours from 5:00 PM until 8:00 AM. This person can be reached by contacting ECU Campus Police at 328-6787 and requesting services of the counselor  "on-call" with the Center for Counseling and Student Development.

Lynn M. Roeder, Assistant Vice Chancellor/Director, 312 Wright Building, East Carolina University
Phone 252/328-2691     Fax 252/328-4868