Mental health remains a top college concern

Nearly one year after the massacre at Virginia Tech and less than two months after the shooting at Northern Illinois University, many campuses remain concerned about the safety of students and whether privacy laws contribute or detract from campus security, speakers said at a forum last week.

To address safety and mental health issues, Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation hosted a forum on college mental health laws at the Metcalf Trustee Center.

Campus Behavioral Health Risk Consultants mental health law expert Carolyn Wolf advised students and faculty to follow their senses and respond to mental health safety needs.

Addressing about 40 faculty and student attendees, Wolf answered questions on issues such as the proper time for a faculty member to "speak up" and the "legal ramifications" of such actions.

"How much do we yield on confidentiality without chilling students?" Wolf asked. "We can undo confidentiality but we can't undo death."

Wolf said students and staff should not fear prosecution under the Family Educational Privacy and Rights Act, which "protects the privacy of student educational records," according to the U.S. Department of Education website. Wolf said court cases on campuses have been minimal.

"There are no FERPA police out there," Wolf said. "There is a heightened panic due to those laws . . . but FERPA has always had exceptions to it."

The U.S. Education Department proposed to amend this act on March 24, so "permissible disclosures" will be applicable to "conditions that apply . . . in health and safety emergencies."

After the Virginia Tech incident last April, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine created the Virginia Tech Review Panel to find ways to prevent similar occurrences from happening.

"The lack of information sharing among academic, administrative and public safety entities at Virginia Tech and the students who had raised concerns . . . contributed to the failure to see the big picture," the panel's report said. "The Care Team was hampered by overly strict interpretations of federal and state privacy laws . . . The totality of the reports would have and should have raised alarms."

Wolf outlined a procedure for increasing campus safety and bringing BU together to respond to mental health and safety needs, especially in the wake of violent acts, including shootings, robberies and rape.

"Law enforcement right now is more reactive than proactive, and we are working on changing that," Wolf said.

Wolf said it is important to be knowledgeable on "red flag behavior," indicating a student may commit an act of violence. Such behavior includes changes in appetite, sleep schedule, isolating oneself, persistent talk about death or dying, loss of interest and giving away personal possessions.

Knowledge of the law and using resources could be the key to saving lives, Wolf said.

"We need to tell students it is not tattletale-ing," she said. "The life you save could be your own or others'."

Student Health Services Director David McBride said he would rather have people speak out unnecessarily than wait and risk violent behavior.

"We urge people in general to follow their gut and speak up," he said.