In January, LLCC Student Success announced a partnership with Talkspace to provide online therapy services to LLCC students. As a result, we do not offer personal counseling services on campus anymore and have updated our crisis protocol to reflect the change. Below, please find guidance on what to do if you are working with a student in crisis or with a student who is needing additional support. In addition, a copy of the LLCC Comprehensive Reporting Guide can be saved or printed to serve as a reminder about student crisis response and mandated reporting.
Faculty and staff are also invited to attend a session on Professional Development Day to learn more about LLCC’s partnership with Talkspace, crisis protocol and Behavioral Intervention Team. Questions can be directed to Leslie Johnson, assistant vice president, student success at leslie.johnson@llcc.edu or 217-786-2848.
Student in crisis
For the purposes of this protocol, the term crisis includes:
- Suicidal ideation
- Homicidal
If faculty and staff encounter a student in crisis (suicidal ideation or homicidal), they should immediately report the situation to the LLCC Police Department at 217-786-2222. The police department will decide whether they need to take further action such as:
- Contact first responders to transport student to a medical facility.
- Refer student to suicide hotline, other hotline or mental health center.
The LLCC Police Department will then inform the Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) for follow up. The BIT will check in with the student, monitor their needs and progress, and initiate any actions necessary for the wellbeing and safety of all members of the LLCC community.
Student NOT in crisis but needing additional support
If faculty and staff encounter a student who is NOT in crisis but needs additional support, they should refer the student to Talkspace or community resources (view information on community resources). Referring a student to additional support like counseling is not difficult when you are genuinely concerned about the student and practice referring ahead of time. First and foremost, express appreciation for the student sharing information with you by saying something such as “I really appreciate you sharing this with me.” Other appropriate responses include: “I am concerned about you,” “It sounds like you have a lot going on,” “It sounds like things have been stressful for you,” “Do you have someone you talk to about these things?” “Would you be open to talking with a counselor about the things we discussed?” “I find talking with someone like a counselor about these issues is helpful, would you be interested in doing that?”
To get started with Talkspace, students can go to talkspace.com/llcc and enter the keyword emailed to their LLCC email or available on Blackboard, Canvas and LLCC Connect. They can also reach out to their student success coach for more information or the keyword. Also, please remember that you can refer students to their success coach for additional support or concerns.
Please note: faculty and staff who become aware of students experiencing sexual violence such as domestic violence, dating violence, stalking or sexual assault, whether or not it occurred on campus, should contact Shelby Bedford, compliance & prevention coordinator, immediately. Shelby will provide the student with information about their rights and options, connect the student to LLCC’s confidential advisors, and provide support and resources.