Hidden / Invisible Disabilities
Strategies for Faculty and Staff
- Know campus and community mental health resources.
- Encourage students to ask for help from the DSS office.
- Work cooperatively with students.
- Connect students with disabilities to each other (maintain confidentiality).
- Be open to and aware of problems and solutions related to disability and mental health.
Strategies for Administrators
- Encourage the campus community to be accepting and aware of psychiatric disabilities.
- Provide mental health services to all students.
- Ensure mental health professionals and academic counselors are sensitive to the needs of students with disabilities.
- Provide training and support to Disability Support Services (DSS) offices for the provision of services to students with psychiatric disabilities.
What you can do to help!
- Please understand that when the person is frustrated, confused or agitated, it may not be a “teachable” moment.
- Remain calm since your agitation will likely make a challenging situation worse.
- Allow the person with the disability to learn their own way.
- Allow them to show you what they know.
- Ask them to repeat back your instructions.
- Be patient and non-judgmental!
- Help them get diagnosed by making a referral.
- If at all possible, help them develop a plan of action.
