Palo Alto Community College Presentation on Dealing with Difficult People by Dr. Elizabeth M. Stanczak

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Palo Alto Community CollegePresentation
onDealing with Difficult People by Dr.
Elizabeth M. Stanczak

• Executive Director of Health Counseling
  Services
• University of Texas San Antonio

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Dealing with Difficult People

• Keep your focus on someones behaviors and not
  their mental status
• Know you Student Code of Conduct this will be
  your best friend when it comes to behavioral
  problems
• Use your Student Judicial Affairs office to deal
  with difficult students
• Human Resources will help with difficult staff or
  faculty.
• Law Enforcement will help with difficult people!

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Dealing with Difficult People

• What is mental illness
• A clinically diagnosable disorder that
  significantly interferes with an individuals
  cognitive, emotional /or social abilities.
• The diagnosis of mental illness is generally made
  according to the classification systems of the
  Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
  Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-IVR) or the
  International Classification of Diseases, Tenth
  Edition (ICD-10)

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Dealing with Difficult People

• Why someone becomes upset
• Not feeling heard
• Not getting what they want (or need)
• Not feeling important (just a number)
• Frustrated
• Confused
• All of the ABOVE!

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Dealing with Difficult People

• First thing to do
• Listen (actively and intently)
• Remain calm (ignore harsh words)
• Alert others to the issues (elicit support)
• Never move to put yourself in a position of being
  alone with the person
• Explain what you can do, and what you cant!
• Bring in a supervisor (there is strength in
  numbers)

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Dealing with Difficult People

• Things are getting out of hand
• Call your campus Security Officer(s)
• If available, contact your Counseling Services
  for support
• Call San Antonio Police Department for assistance
• Ask permission to contact a family member
• Continue to remain calm and talk with the
  student/person

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Dealing with Difficult People

• UTSA SIRT
• We have a team of mental health professionals who
  review all reported incidents where there is a
  concern for someones safety or the safety of
  others
• Mandated Assessment
• Based on University of Illinois Suicide
  Prevention Program
• Interview and Testing is used to assess level of
  risk, along with educating about the student code
  of conduct.

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Dealing with Difficult People

• Behavior Intervention Team
• One UTSA Police Sgt., one UTSA Counselor (me),
  one Student Judicial Affairs Officer, and one
  legal counsel from Legal Affairs. This is the
  Core BIT.
• Expanded BIT deals with non-student related
  issues
• Any threat to the campus community

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Dealing with Difficult People

• Interviews
• Data information, specifics
• Assessment
• Mosaic
• Personality Assessment Inventory
• Risk for self-harm
• Risk for violence
• Only verbally
• Potentially physically

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Dealing with Difficult People

• Use Community Resources
• Respect the rights of others
• Seek Legal Counsel
• Dont violate the Americans with Disabilities
  Act
• Ensure that you can legally do what you are
  intending to do (mandate assessment, etc.)

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Dealing with Difficult People

• Questions?

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Dealing with Difficult People

• Thank you for your attention and questions!
• Please feel free to call if you have any
  questions
• [phone] (Counseling Services)
• Wellness Center 1.810
• University of Texas San Antonio
• [phone] (Student Health Services)
• Again, THANK YOU