Transcript Part - 09 - Case Study Material for Group Discussion

Success Through Wellness:
Seeing Yourself in the Campus Mental Health Strategy
Case Study Material for Group Discussion
Student Affairs
Professional Development Day
November 26th, 2014
Instructions for Group Discussion Exercise
• Each table will receive a case study to discuss
• You will have 30 minutes to:
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Identify the main issues of concern and who is affected
Prioritize the identified concerns
Recommend actions or next steps for all involved
Provide a rationale for your recommendations
• Identify a spokesperson for your table who will share
your response to the above points with the audience
• Take your break, if needed, during this 30-minute time
period
Case Study #1
One of your colleagues comes to you for advice
about a student named ‘Diane.’ During their
meeting, Diane mentioned how unhappy she was,
and alluded to some distressing experiences in her
personal life. When your colleague inquired
further, Diane broke into tears, said that she didn’t
want to talk about it, and told your colleague to
forget about her comments. Since this event,
Diane hasn’t responded to e-mails or phone calls,
and your colleague is “worried sick that something
bad has happened.”
Case Study #2
Your nephew, ‘Devin,’ has always been a top
student and is attending U of M on a full
scholarship. Over the past few weeks,
however, he has been missing classes,
uncharacteristically moody when interacting
with others, and his grades are slipping.
Devin’s mother (your sister-in-law) is worried
that he is “on something,” and wants you to
help address this situation because “you are
there and know all about the university.”
Case Study #3
‘Darwin’ is a friendly international student who
frequently visits your office. During the past few
visits, however, he has appeared agitated and angry,
even slamming his hand on the counter during one
visit. Some of the office staff are intimidated by his
recent actions and are worried that he might become
more aggressive. One staff member said that she is
afraid now to walk to her car at the end of the day,
fearing that she will encounter Darwin. You have no
such fears, but are concerned about the situation.
Case Study #4
You have just attended a team meeting where one
staff person, ‘Debra,’ explains that she didn’t
complete her assigned tasks. People are aware that
she is having some family problems, but her
unreliability is now interfering with the project -which has a tight timeline. A revised plan is
developed for the project at the meeting, and all
agree that it is acceptable. Later that afternoon, you
go to the washroom and hear sobbing coming from
one of the stalls. You decide to give the person
privacy and go back to your office. Five minutes
later, Debra comes to your office to ask a question
and it is clear that she has been crying.
Case Study #5
Your colleague, ‘Darius,’ has been on
medical leave for an extended period of time
and has been cleared to return to work
soon. People are worried about his return
because he was challenging to work with
and there is concern that the “old issues” will
soon resurface. You are worried that Darius
won’t get a “fair shake” but aren’t sure if
there is anything you can do.
Case Study #6
Lately you have been feeling tired, eating poorly, and
having trouble concentrating. Nobody at work has
yet noticed this, but you are also falling behind at
work. You figure it’s “just the usual stuff for this time
of year” and decide that it will pass in due time.
Some of your coworkers are starting to go to the
gym at lunch time and have invited you to join them.
You continue to make excuses why you can’t go and
are becoming irritated by their good-natured teasing
about this topic. Today you lashed out at them when
they joked that you were “getting ready to hibernate
for the winter.”
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