The Well-Being Center provides a range of resources for faculty, academic advisors, and staff to support their work with students. Faculty, staff and academic advisors can call AU Protocall services at 202-885-7979 if concerned about a student. Faculty, staff and academic advisors can also consult with a Well-Being Center clinician about your particular situation by calling x3500.

Consultations

The Well-Being Center provides consultations to individuals or groups regarding how to help a student in distress, how to make referrals to the Center, how to manage conflicts, and other concerns that come up in the course of working with students.

For a consultation, call the Well-Being Center at x3500 and ask to speak with a clinician. Clinicians can receive information about students and provide general consultation. Please be aware that the Well-Being Center is prevented by law from sharing confidential information about a student's contact with the Center without the student's permission. Please be aware that clinicians are first responsible to their clients and cannot agree ahead of time to keep third-party consultations confidential. 

Care Network: Early Intervention and Support for Students of Concern

The Office of the Dean of Students is generally the best point of contact when you're concerned about a student who could benefit from having someone reach out to them and provide assistance in connecting to campus resources (e.g., the Well-Being Center, Academic Support and Access Center, Student Health Center, etc.).

If you recognize signs of distress or observe disruptive behavior in your classroom, submit an online report through the Care Network or call the Office of the Dean of Students at 202-885-3300 to talk through your concerns. The Care Network is accessible to faculty and staff through the Life@AU tab on the myAU.american.edu portal.

What About Confidentiality?

Members of the Care Team, as administrative agents in an educational institution, adhere to the laws and standards governing the disclosure of information to third parties both within and external to the University. Such information is only disclosed on a need to know basis and only according to the relevant statutes that govern such disclosure. Some Well-Being Center staff serve in a consulting role to the Care Team and do not share confidential information about clients to the Team.

For Additional Information, Contact:
American University
Office of the Dean of Students
408 Butler Pavilion
4400 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20016-8148
202-885-3300 voice
202-885-1560 fax
dos@american.edu
www.american.edu/ocl/dos

"Support Services" Blurb for Your Handout or Syllabus

If you would like to let your students know about the support services available to them, you can include this blurb in your course syllabus or program handout:

The Center for Well-Being Programs and Psychological Services has been formed to help meet the wellness needs of the American University student population. The Center provides AU students with a range of wellness-related services. These services include: individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, victim/survivor advocacy services, crisis intervention through AU ProtoCall Services (202-885-7979), alcohol and other drug education and consultations and wellness related programing. For more information please visit the website of the Center for Well-Being Programs and Psychological Services. (The url is https://www.american.edu/student-affairs/counseling/index.cfm)

Workshops and Presentations

Well-Being Center staff members are available to supplement your course or program by providing a presentation or workshop for your students (depending on availability and schedule). Handouts and pamphlets about mental health and human development can be found in our digital resource library. To request a workshop or presentation, please contact Dr. Malini Basdeo at basdeo@american.edu.

Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Training

We are currently offering virtual QPR training for all AU faculty, staff, and student-led organizations. QPR training focuses on teaching individuals how to recognize the warning signs of suicide and provide guidelines to Question a person about those thoughts, Persuade them to get help, and  Refer the person for support. This interactive training is one hour in length. 

If interested in a QPR training, contact Dr. Malini Basdeo at  basdeo@american.edu. Please give at least three weeks' notice when you are submitting a request. 

Requests for Relief from Academic Requirements

• The Well-Being Center does not document or arrange accommodations for psychological disabilities as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This function is served by the Academic Support and Access Center (ASAC) office. The university is committed to ensuring accessibility for all qualified students with disabilities to university programs and activities. Students with a psychological disability may contact ASAC to arrange for documentation of a disability and for appropriate accommodations.

• DC confidentiality laws require a student's written permission in order for the Well-Being Center to share administrative or treatment information with anyone, including university personnel, regarding a student's contacts with the Well-Being Center. This includes both verbal and written communications. Authorization forms are available at the Well-Being Center.

• Well-Being Center clinicians do not adjudicate academic matters, such as whether a student should or should not be granted academic relief. That decision is made by the relevant faculty/advisor/staff in accordance with university policies.