Hendrix endeavors to create
a secure environment for its students. We provide a support network that
attempts to prevent harm to any student and that promotes safe behavior. From
time to time, however, a student may engage in behavior that is either
threatening to self or others. This document states the College’s policy and
procedures when such behavior occurs.
A student is engaging in or
displaying endangering behavior if:
• they pose a substantial threat of harm to self or
others
• they behave in ways that are severely disruptive to others
• they refuse or are unable to comply with treatment
• they
exhibit behavior or physical condition that deteriorates, suggesting with
reasonable probability that harm may occur to self or others.
When a member of the
Hendrix College community becomes aware of endangering behavior, that person
will notify the Dean of Students, Hendrix College Counselor, and/or
Professional Residence Life Staff. These individuals constitute the Crisis
Management Team (CMT). When a student who feels threatened by others reports
endangering behavior, every effort will be made to protect the confidentiality
and/or anonymity of the reporting student.
When the CMT becomes aware
of endangering behavior, they will assess the severity of the situation. If the
result of the assessment indicates that further action is necessary beyond the
scope of services available at Hendrix College, the student will be referred to
Counseling Associates, Inc. (CAI) or other treatment facilities. The Dean of
Students has the authority to limit campus access during assessment. Faculty
and staff are not to transport a student who is engaging in endangering
behavior. Instead, the Conway Police Department or an ambulance is to transport
the student. In order for a student to be screened by CAI, he/she must be
transported to Conway Regional Health System’s (CRHS) emergency room or the
detention center at the Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office, as these are the only
two locations CAI is able to conduct an assessment. (Typically, the Conway
Police Department is not a location where assessments are conducted; however,
they may agree to allow CAI to screen a student there on occasion). A member of
the CMT will notify the student’s family of the situation, and will make every
effort to discuss this notification with the student first.
Before a student is allowed
to return to residential facilities and/or attend classes after a
hospitalization, a meeting with the College Counselor and the Dean of Students
is required, in part, to ensure that the student will receive follow-up
counseling. A consent form signed by the student allowing the Hendrix College
Counseling Center to request a discharge summary from the hospital and/or
treating professional will be necessary. The discharge summary should state
whether the student is still considered to be engaging in endangering behavior
and should also include follow-up or aftercare plans. If the student refuses to
sign a release for hospital records (i.e., the discharge summary), they have
the option of presenting certification from the hospital’s treating
professional that the student is able to return to residential facilities
and/or attend classes and that the student is complying with any follow-up or
aftercare plans. This information will enable the Dean, in consultation with
the College Counselor, to decide whether to authorize a medical leave or allow
the student to return to campus. If a student is allowed to return, they may be
required to sign and comply with a written behavioral contract/safety plan.
In complaints of
endangering behavior where a student poses a clear and present danger to
another individual, the above policy is followed, and the individual will be
notified in accordance with “duty to warn” guidelines. If a student is making
threats against another, “duty to warn” guidelines state that any mental health
professional is mandated to warn an intended victim. Campus security will be
notified as well. For the well-being of the student at risk and the community,
any student may be dismissed from Hendrix College if their endangering behavior
violates the College’s Code of Conduct.