Addressing Mental Health Needs of Collegiate Athletes

Transcription

1 Addressing Mental Health Needs of Collegiate Athletes Stephanie W. Martensen, M.Ed., LPC Senior Counselor Counseling Services/Student Health Services

2 Missouri University of Science and Technology S&T is a Division II, Great Lakes Valley Conference university Nearly 400 varsity, student-athletes in 15 intercollegiate teams Campus student population of 7900 students Located in Rolla, Missouri

3 Structure of professional staff Athletics, athletic trainers, medical providers, and counseling staff are all members of the Division of Student Affairs but are housed in different departments Athletic Department Administration, coaches, compliance Student Health Services Medical providers, athletic trainers (overseen by the Medical Director), part-time counselor, part-time health educators Miner Wellness health educators Counseling Services mental health counselors and care coordinator

4 NCAA best practices Mental Health Best Practices! The NCAA Sport Science Institute and leading mental health organizations across the country have developed a seminal publication in support of college athlete mental health and wellness, an Inter-Association Consensus Document: Best Practices for Understanding and Supporting Student-Athlete Mental Wellness (Mental Health Best Practices).! An outcome of the NCAA Mental Health Task Force and a practical extension of the NCAA publication Mind, Body and Sport: Understanding and Supporting Student-Athlete Mental Wellness, the Mental Health Best Practices was developed and endorsed by twenty-five of the most prominent medical, higher education, and sports medicine organizations in the nation and designed to offer resource-independent recommendations for member schools to support and promote student-athlete mental health in partnership with campus stakeholders.! Included on the sidebar is a summary of the four inter-association best practices as well as downloadable resources for athletics departments and university partners to use in the implementation of all best practices on their campuses.

5 Best Practice #1: Clinical Licensure of Practitioners Providing Mental Health Care Schools are encouraged to ensure that the mental health care of a college athlete is provided by a licensed individual who is qualified to provide mental health services.

6 Best Practice #1: Clinical Licensure of Practitioners Providing Mental Health Care

7 Addressing Best Practice #1! All mental health providers through Missouri S&T are licensed providers! We are working to educate the athletic administrative staff, along with coaches and volunteers, on the role of licensed mental health providers! Where to find us! How to access our services! We are identifying treatment issues and protocols for our therapists on working with student-athletes

8 Best Practice #2: Procedures for Identification and Referral of Student-Athletes to Qualified Practitioners Athletics departments are encouraged to work with sports medicine and campus mental health services to develop written emergency and non-emergency action plans for situations in which college athletes face a mental health challenge.

9 Best Practice #2: Procedures for Identification and Referral of Student- Athletes to Qualified Practitioners

10 Addressing Best Practice #2! Educating staff and teams on signs and symptoms to look for with teammates and members of athletics! Changes in sleep or appetite! Behavioral changes noticed in practice! Team members see changes or alterations in interactions/connectedness! Sharing resources on campus! Counseling! Student health! Tutoring! Navigating the school process! Widely sharing ways to access services and how to refer after-hours! Speaking with coaches, teams, administrative staff in athletics

11 Best Practice #3: Pre-Participation Mental Health Screening Schools are encouraged to develop and apply mental health screening tools, as well as a written mental health referral plan, prior to a student-athlete s initial participation in college athletics.

12 Best Practice #3: Pre-Participation Mental Health Screening

13 Addressing Best Practice #3! We instituted a mental health screening form for all freshmen athletes! The medical providers have me review all forms and look for markers of a potential problem! I share campus resources on various levels! I invite athletes in to consult and work through a plan to address

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21 Best Practice #4: Health-Promoting Environments That Support Mental Well-Being and Resilience Athletics departments are encouraged to educate student-athletes, coaches, and faculty athletics representatives to help create a culture that promotes care seeking and mental well-being and resilience.

22 Best Practice #4: Health-Promoting Environments That Support Mental Well- Being and Resilience

23 Addressing Best Practice #4! In August, I meet with all coaches and their staff to talk about counseling services, share printed materials, and educate on how we can help! Developed solid, working relationships with the athletic trainers on what to watch for and how to refer out! We work with the trainers and coaches directly with a student of concern and include them in conversations! Student-athlete specific counselor! Student-athlete centered groups! Working to bring issues in SAAC monthly meeting with athletic director

24 Contact information: Stephanie W. Martensen, M.Ed., LPC Senior Counselor

25 References Putukian, M. (2014). How being injured affects mental health. In G. T. Brown, B. Hainline, E. Kroshus, & M. Wilfert (Eds.), Mind, body and sport: Understanding and supporting student-athlete mental wellness (pp ). Indianapolis, IN: National Collegiate Athletic Association. Semaia, P. (2014). Supporting student-athletes in transition. In G. T. Brown, B. Hainline, E. Kroshus, & M. Wilfert (Eds.), Mind, body and sport: Understanding and supporting student-athlete mental wellness (pp ). Indianapolis, IN: National Collegiate Athletic Association. Thompson, R. A., & Sherman, R. T. (2007). Managing student-athletes mental health issues. Indianapolis, IN: National Collegiate Athletic Association.