Supporting Student Support Service Staff

Over the past decade, college students have reported higher rates of anxiety, depression and trauma, which means mental health has increasingly become a retention concern for higher education leaders and those working with students.

A 2023 Student Voice survey by Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse found 45 percent of students believe professors have a responsibility to help students who are struggling with their mental health. An additional 38 percent of students pointed to advisers, and 32 percent said administrators also have a role in supporting student mental health concerns.

Providing trauma-informed care is something faculty and staff say they want to do, but employing these skills can be a challenge as practitioners juggle their own mental health issues.

A recent white paper from the student success coaching group InsideTrack and the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce (CSW) identifies strategies to alleviate staff trauma and toxic stress at higher education institutions. Adapting these strategies can have long-term consequences, including improved student retention, employee morale and overall success for underrepresented groups, according to the report.

What’s the need: Students aren’t the only group experiencing greater mental health concerns; nationally, 19 percent of adults have reported anxiety disorders, and 8 percent say they’ve experienced major depression. Individuals from historically marginalized groups, such as people of color, those with disabilities or those from low-income backgrounds, are more likely to face mental health concerns without receiving care, as well.

Some institutions lack the resources to adequately support staff who are struggling or experiencing heightened levels of stress at work. A recent Tyton Partners report found 37 percent of academic and faculty advisers believe adviser burnout and turnover are top concerns in support staffers’ work lives.

“Staff members are burned out and facing their own trauma, along with compassion fatigue that can lead to workplace tension and turnover. These dedicated hard-working providers are literally working on the front lines of a mental health crisis,” according to the report.

To address trauma and toxic stress in the workplace, college leaders should provide appropriate tools, bandwidth and resources for staff to assist students better by integrating trauma-informed approaches into the workplace.

The how-to: Campus leaders should, according to the InsideTrack/CSW white paper, first identify ways to make the institutional system a supportive workplace that values:

• Safety, respect and structured interaction. The institution should take steps to ensure staff feel physically, psychologically and emotionally safe at their jobs, as well as valued in their contributions.
• Trust and transparency. Ensure staff are informed about the organization and decisions that may affect them.
• Peer support and belonging. Provide opportunities for genuine connection and relationship building among staff members, including fun activities and regular check-ins. 

• Collaboration and mutuality. Staff members should know their role is working with students, not to or for them.
• Empowerment, voice, choice and flexibility. Staff can share ideas and influence decisions, as well as have options in their work, such as taking a mental health break or day.
• Cultural humility and critically engaging difference. As a collective, the workplace should show respect for and value diverse backgrounds.  

“While these principles may seem straightforward, the true challenge lies in consistently applying them throughout the organization,” according to the white paper. “This requires dedicated time, intentionality and a commitment to integrating these principles into every aspect of daily operations, services, programs, supervision and policies.”

This helps build capacity for campus stakeholders to engage with students who may be experiencing mental health challenges or other struggles in a trauma-informed way.

InsideTrack uses a framework to guide conversations. CLEAR, short for confirm, legitimize, evaluate and respond, promotes understanding before practitioners can delve into solutions, which is particularly beneficial for working with individuals experiencing heightened emotions, facing life choices or dealing with difficult situations.

CLEAR asks practitioners to think from the student’s point of view, be aware of their own feelings and show constant support from the college, which can remove risks for heightening students stress or retriggering traumas.

The white paper also recommends staff consider the U.S. surgeon general’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being as an additional resource.

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