Quick Reference Guide to Support Students

The Office of Wellness and Mental Health (OWMH) has developed a quick reference guide to support students to empower members of the NOVA community to feel equipped to assist and support students who might be experiencing a crisis and need to be connected to support. The reference guide outlines 4 simple tips on how to be an effective helper. It also provides a chart that can be utilized as a tool to aid in determining the level of behavioral or mental health crisis an individual might be experiencing. Most importantly the quick reference guide provides important and direct links to various campus and community-based resources to support a student in crisis.

We believe that you don’t have to be a counselor or therapist to support a student in crisis. Just like you would support a colleague, family member or friend, we can support our campus community. Please keep in mind that safety is always the priority; and this is emphasized throughout the quick reference guide to always prioritize your safety and well-being while supporting others. NOVA police are always available to support, and they have CIT (Crisis Intervention Trained) officers on staff equipped to assist with potential mental health crises. If you or your department would like to receive training on this guide, please email wellness@nvcc.edu.

The quick reference guide can be found on the main page of the OWMH website in the Important Announcements box.

Submitted by:
Regina Sanders, Director of OWMH, RLSanders@nvcc.edu