FAQ for Faculty & Staff

Afterhours or Immediate Crisis

If you feel the situation is an emergency (concern about safety of the student or another person), please call Campus Security at 615-460-6911.

Students also have 24/7 mental and physical health support through Timely Care. They can access their free and confidential accounts anytime with their Bruins email here.

During business hours (8-4:30 M-F)

If you are unsure if a student needs help and/or you are unsure how to help, please call our office at 615-460-6856 and consult with one of the staff clinicians.

When you call, identify yourself as a faculty or staff member and let our office manager know the urgency of the situation. Specifically, does this situation require a response by the end of the day or within the next week? This information will help our office manager route your call appropriately.

We also encourage you to submit a student support form that is located here.

We strongly encourage you to provide the name of the student when you call us; although, it is not required. Having the student's name allows us to more effectively and appropriately respond. 

Our services are confidential, and we are happy to discuss any concerns you may have about privacy. 

When you call, you will be asked whether or not you are comfortable with us giving your name to the student.

If you provide information that we need to act on by doing a well-being check or intervening in some way, we will either provide your name with your permission or let the student know that “a concerned community member” gave us the information. If you are the only person the student confided in, you may be identifiable.

Feel free to discuss any specific concerns you have with this process when you speak with us!

Due to the clinical schedule, it is best to call or email our main office (615-460-6856 or counseling@belmont.edu). You are welcome to request a specific clinician. If they are not available, our front desk staff will get you connected to an available staff member who can address your concern immediately.

Below you will find a list of concerns that may signal additional support is needed. Students can access our services M-F and Timely Care is available to them 24/7.

We also recommend that you consider filing a Student Concern form if you have any concerns about a student. The Student Support staff are a great resource for students as well as faculty and staff.

• Abrupt changes in behavior, hygiene or appearance
• Anxiety about a family situation or a relationship difficulty
• Bizarre behavior or disjointed thoughts
• Chronic fatigue and lack of energy
• Irritability, aggressive or abrasive behavior
• Noticeable fearfulness, tearfulness, or nervousness
• Preoccupation with death
• Poor class attendance
• Self-injurious behavior (i.e. cutting)
• Sense of aimlessness-“no purpose in life” or feeling like a burden to friends or family
• Signs of alcohol or drug use
• Suicidal thoughts-“I want to go to sleep and never wake up” "This is just too much" "I can't do this anymore"
• Withdrawal from friends or family

Students are more likely to first share concerns with peers and mentors. One of the best things you can do is provide a safe and open space for students. The main goal is to keep them safe and comfortable until you can get the appropriate resources to the student.

• Location: If you can, move the student to a private or more private area (i.e. hallway instead of in front of the class).
• Communicate your concern to the student in a caring and direct manner: “I noticed you walked out in the middle of class and appeared upset. Are you ok? Can I help in any way?” "Would you like to walk down to Counseling with me?"
• Ask direct and open questions: “I noticed you wrote a paper about death for last week’s assignment. Have you had thoughts about death or suicide recently?”
• Refer to resources and encourage help-seeking. Support the student by encouraging them to contact counseling or Timely Care.

For additional ideas on managing conversations:

• Seize the Awkward
• ACE Card for Suicide Risk

We are seeing students coming into Counseling Services with multiple presenting issues, and 1 in 5 adults report a diagnosable mental illness in any given year.

Some of the most frequent issues we see are: anxiety, depression, relationship issues, academic difficulties, stress, self-injury, suicidality, trauma, identity concerns, and developmental stressors.

While Counseling Services is only available to enrolled students, Belmont does provide additional support for faculty, staff and dependents through LYRA as well as the EAP. Additional information on these services can be found in Human Resources.