For further information, consider the How To Help Someone In Crisis article.
In emergency situations involving students who are unwilling or unable to seek help on their own, you may call the Counseling Center 910.962.3746, the Office of the Dean of Students 910.962.3119, or Campus Police 910.962.2222.
The culturally diverse student may be:
Students who are culturally diverse may feel isolated in the university setting. They often believe that they must handle personal problems on their own and may wait until their distress is acute before seeking assistance.
Because of cultural masking and our own inexperience and/or discomfort with people who are different, the initial assessment of distress is often difficult. However, difficulty in assessing emotional distress in the culturally diverse individual is compounded by differences in cultural norms of behavior, emotional expression, sense of privacy and personal discomfort with mainstream American culture.
If you encounter a culturally diverse individual who may be experiencing distress, it is important to make some contact with him/her and express your concerns, just as you would with any other student. Although it would be helpful to be knowledgeable about the person's own culture, it is much better to reach out than to hold back for fear of violating cultural rules or boundaries.
If the student does not accept your offer of help, you might want to suggest talking with someone else on campus, possibly someone who may be knowledgeable about the students' background. Remember to reach out to this person since he/she may find it difficult to seek assistance from you.
There are a number of campus agencies that can assist students. Below, you may find contact information or telephone numbers of these agencies:
If you have difficulty accessing any information from the Counseling Center web pages or other information throughout our site, please contact us by telephone at 910.962.3746 or by email at email@example.com and we will provide alternatives.