Charting the Course: Charting the Course: Accommodating Students Accommodating Students with Psychiatric with Psychiatric Disabilities Disabilities Pat Bunge, LPC Pat Bunge, LPC disAbility Access disAbility Access Services Services Guilford Technical Guilford Technical Community College Community College
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Charting the Course: Accommodating Students with Psychiatric Disabilities Pat Bunge, LPC disAbility Access Services Guilford Technical Community College.
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Charting the Course: Charting the Course: Accommodating Students Accommodating Students
with Psychiatric with Psychiatric DisabilitiesDisabilities
Guilford Technical Community Guilford Technical Community CollegeCollege
Postsecondary Students Postsecondary Students with Disabilitieswith Disabilities
• In a survey of 423,470 postsecondary In a survey of 423,470 postsecondary education students, 38,410 identified education students, 38,410 identified themselves as having a mental themselves as having a mental illness (National Center for Education illness (National Center for Education Statistics, 1999)Statistics, 1999)
• 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act
What is a Mental Illness?What is a Mental Illness?
• Mental illness is a term that refers Mental illness is a term that refers collectively to all diagnosable mental collectively to all diagnosable mental conditions causing severe disturbances conditions causing severe disturbances in thinking, feeling, relating, and in thinking, feeling, relating, and functional behaviors. These conditions functional behaviors. These conditions result in substantially diminished result in substantially diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life.demands of life.
How One Might Recognize How One Might Recognize Signs of Mental Illness on Signs of Mental Illness on CampusCampus
• While a single symptom or isolated While a single symptom or isolated event is rarely a sign of mental event is rarely a sign of mental illness, a symptom that occurs illness, a symptom that occurs frequently, lasts for several weeks, frequently, lasts for several weeks, or becomes a general pattern of an or becomes a general pattern of an individual’s behavior may indicate individual’s behavior may indicate the onset of a more serious mental the onset of a more serious mental health problem that requires health problem that requires treatment.treatment.
Symptoms of a Mental Symptoms of a Mental Health ProblemHealth Problem
• Chronically missing classChronically missing class
• Assignments consistently lateAssignments consistently late
• Extreme highs or lows in moodExtreme highs or lows in mood
• AnxietiesAnxieties
• Problem concentrating or rememberingProblem concentrating or remembering
• Increase knowledge and acceptance of Increase knowledge and acceptance of mental illnessmental illness
• Be prepared to set behavioral limitsBe prepared to set behavioral limits
• Know campus mental health resourcesKnow campus mental health resources
• Work cooperatively with studentsWork cooperatively with students
• Assist students with time managementAssist students with time management
Reasonable accommodation by Reasonable accommodation by definition is the removal of definition is the removal of barriers to participation .barriers to participation .
Principles of Principles of AccommodationAccommodation
Accommodations are NOT Accommodations are NOT Reasonable if they...Reasonable if they...
• Pose a direct threat to the health or Pose a direct threat to the health or safety of otherssafety of others
• Make substantial change in essential Make substantial change in essential elements of the curriculumelements of the curriculum
• Require substantial alteration in Require substantial alteration in educational opportunities or course educational opportunities or course objectivesobjectives
• Pose undue financial or administrative Pose undue financial or administrative burdenburden
Possible Classroom Possible Classroom AccommodationsAccommodations
• Preferential seating, near doorPreferential seating, near door
• Beverages permittedBeverages permitted
• Prearranged or frequent breaksPrearranged or frequent breaks
• Extensions on assignmentsExtensions on assignments
The Myths of Mental IllnessThe Myths of Mental Illness
• People with mental illness are dangerousPeople with mental illness are dangerous
• People with psychiatric disabilities are People with psychiatric disabilities are unpredictable, and can go “berserk” at unpredictable, and can go “berserk” at any timeany time
• People recovering from mental illness People recovering from mental illness can work at low level jobs, but are not can work at low level jobs, but are not suited to be in college, and probably will suited to be in college, and probably will never hold responsible positionsnever hold responsible positions
The Myths of Mental Illness The Myths of Mental Illness cont..cont..
• When you learn that a person has a When you learn that a person has a mental illness, you have learned the mental illness, you have learned the most significant thing about his or most significant thing about his or her personalityher personality
Create an environment of Create an environment of trust and confidentiality trust and confidentiality that allows the person to that allows the person to
feel comfortable feel comfortable discussing his or her discussing his or her
condition.condition.
ResourcesResources
• American Psychiatric AssociationAmerican Psychiatric Association
• American Psychological AssociationAmerican Psychological Association
• Mental health info SourceMental health info Source
• National Alliance for the Mentally ill National Alliance for the Mentally ill (NAMI)(NAMI)
• National Institute of Mental HealthNational Institute of Mental Health
• National Mental Health AssociationNational Mental Health Association
• Washington Advocates for the Washington Advocates for the Mentally Ill (WAMI)Mentally Ill (WAMI)
Mental Illness. The Way Mental Illness. The Way We Treat It Is Insane.We Treat It Is Insane.