Training available to deal with problems

By Harold Gwin

Faculty members requested training after shooting tragedies on other campuses.

YOUNGSTOWN — Staff and faculty at Youngstown State University are being offered free training on how to deal with disruptive students and people struggling with mental health issues.

Dr. Cynthia Anderson, vice president for student affairs, said the goal is to educate and make faculty, support staff and administrators aware of potential problems before they escalate.

The sessions are in response to requests from YSU faculty in light of the recent tragedies at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Va., and Northern Illinois University in Chicago.

A lone student gunman was accused of killing 32 people and injuring 17 others on the Virginia Tech campus before killing himself in April 2007.

Authorities later said the gunman had a past history of mental health problems.

More recently, a lone gunman who was a former student at Northern Illinois was accused of shooting and killing five people and wounding 15 others before killing himself in February of this year. Authorities said later that he also was dealing with mental health issues.

The training will be provided through the Mahoning County Mental Health Board and the Criminal Justice Coordinating Center of Excellence at the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy. The Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation is picking up the tab.

After such tragedies, mental health experts have said knowing and heeding certain warning signs could help prevent similar occurrences.

Faculty and staff will be shown how to recognize symptoms exhibited by disruptive or potentially dangerous students or colleagues and what emergency protocol to follow to ensure effective intervention occurs.

Mental illness, suicidal tendencies and de-escalation and communication skills will be part of the training, Anderson said.

“This is a needed item,” said Provost Ikram Khawaja, noting this training is part of an ongoing process.

There will be two sessions available Oct. 14 and 15, one morning and one afternoon, each spread over a two-day period, with space for up to 100 in each session. Participants must attend both days.

Anderson said, in addition to faculty, support staff who deal with students on a regular basis such as the registrar and financial aid offices, as well as student advisers, are expected to take advantage of the training.

gwin@vindy.com