A call for the Faculty of Law to ensure all faulty and staff members have adequate mental health and sexual violence response training
Content Warning: discussion of suicidal ideation and sexual violence.
Faculty and staff of post-secondary institutions possess a duty towards their students that extends beyond the classroom. This year, more than any other, we have come to appreciate the importance of having a strong support network. For law students, part of that support network includes an administration, faculty, and staff who are prepared to have difficult conversations.
Currently, there is no requirement in the Faculty of Law (or in the broader U of T community) for faculty or staff to be trained in suicidal ideation or sexual violence response. According to Associate Dean Christopher Essert, receiving this training is optional and there are many resources available to do so; however, due to the voluntary nature, actually tracking those who have received training is difficult.
As a former post-secondary administrative staff member, I’m sympathetic to the challenges of administration. I’ll be the first to admit that working with students is complex. With this said, I also feel comfortable calling in admin when something doesn’t feel right.
In my previous role as a student life professional, it was crucial that myself and any of my staff in student-facing roles received proper training to respond to suicidal ideation and sexual violence. In my experience, these conversations with students came up regularly. I believe it is crucial for faculty and staff members to know how to handle them appropriately.
For a Faculty that touts their mental health supports, sometimes the most impactful work starts by looking at simple changes that can be made within the existing community. Adding additional resources, such as embedded counseling, can break down barriers for students to receive support, and is a step in the right direction.
The administration cannot operate under the assumption that students will always feel comfortable seeking help from professional counselors or be able to receive this help in a timely manner. Part of a strong mental health strategy on campus is taking a proactive approach to crisis response with the understanding that a person in crisis may not reach out to a counselor as a first point of contact.
Students may feel more comfortable speaking with professors or staff members they trust and with whom they have an established rapport. If, in the course of these conversations, a student discloses suicidal ideation or sexual violence, the staff member should have sufficient training to know how to handle the situation and refer the student to appropriate resources.
Navigating these conversations is difficult. There is no one right way to handle a disclosure from a student, but there are a lot of wrong ways to deal with these situations. It takes a lot of courage for a student to speak up. The most important thing to keep in mind with both suicidal ideation and sexual violence is to maintain open communication and support the person in crisis. Shutting down dialogue or passing students from office to office without actually taking the time to listen to them is not best practice, and ultimately shows a lack of compassion.
In the course of these conversations, it is critical to take concerns seriously and not impart judgment. The person in crisis should be given the opportunity to lead the conversation, and the responder should take a listening and supportive role. In the context of sexual violence, the survivor should choose what, if any, direction of action to take with their disclosure. It is not up to the person receiving the disclosure to make an assumption about the form of action a survivor would like to take. Not every survivor is in the position to immediately go through a formal reporting process, and some survivors may never choose to do so.
I am calling on the Faculty of Law to implement a culture of expectation for all faculty and staff in student-facing roles to receive adequate training in suicidal ideation and sexual violence response. Suicidal ideation and sexual violence disclosures are not limited to frontline student services staff. Training in suicidal ideation and sexual violence response would provide faculty and staff with a basic toolkit to navigate through these conversations effectively and compassionately.
If administration were to commit to the professional development of its faculty and staff to include training in suicidal ideation and sexual violence response (among other much needed training and discussions — most notably in anti-racism, equity, and inclusion), it would reflect an administration that cares about the student community it serves, both inside and out of the classroom.
There are a number of organizations across Canada that provide this training, several of which the University has offered in the past. Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is a two-day, intensive workshop in suicide first aid from LivingWorks, and in many cases is the industry standard for student life professionals in Canada. LivingWorks also offers a condensed, four-hour training session, safeTALK. The Mental Health Commission of Canada offers an 8-hour, virtual course in Mental Health First Aid. U of T’s Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre offers a 90-minute online workshop in responding to disclosures of sexual violence, specifically for staff, faculty, and administrators.
Being committed to student mental health is more than just embedded counselling and peer support programs. This commitment starts with each faculty and staff member taking personal steps to be accountable to the student community, especially during moments when students need them the most.
Additional Resources:
- How to support a student in distress: https://studentlife.utoronto.ca/service/faculty-support-for-responding-to-distressed-students/
- U of T MySSP is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via telephone, video, or chat in multiple languages
- How to support a survivor with a sexual violence disclosure: https://www.svpscentre.utoronto.ca/give-support/how-to-help/
- Students can contact the Health and Wellness Centre (weekdays 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) at 416-978-8030, or to visit the Student Mental Health Portal
