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Referrals

Info for Faculty & Staff

Find resources and information about supporting students and making referrals to the UNCW Counseling Center.

Making Referrals

Crisis Article

For further information, consider the How To Help Someone In Crisis article.

In Case of Emergency

In emergency situations involving students who are unwilling or unable to seek help on their own, you may call the Counseling Center 910.962.3746, the Office of the Dean of Students 910.962.3119, or Campus Police 910.962.2222.

Culturally Diverse Student

The culturally diverse student may be:

  • An American student who is bicultural and sees him/herself as an ethnic minority.
  • An international student who is studying for a degree and may return to his/her home nation.
  • An immigrant who is relatively new to the United States and remains culturally identified with his/her birth nationality.
  • A student who represents any other minority population.

Students who are culturally diverse may feel isolated in the university setting. They often believe that they must handle personal problems on their own and may wait until their distress is acute before seeking assistance.

Because of cultural masking and our own inexperience and/or discomfort with people who are different, the initial assessment of distress is often difficult. However, difficulty in assessing emotional distress in the culturally diverse individual is compounded by differences in cultural norms of behavior, emotional expression, sense of privacy and personal discomfort with mainstream American culture.

If you encounter a culturally diverse individual who may be experiencing distress, it is important to make some contact with him/her and express your concerns, just as you would with any other student. Although it would be helpful to be knowledgeable about the person's own culture, it is much better to reach out than to hold back for fear of violating cultural rules or boundaries.

If the student does not accept your offer of help, you might want to suggest talking with someone else on campus, possibly someone who may be knowledgeable about the students' background. Remember to reach out to this person since he/she may find it difficult to seek assistance from you.

Referral Agencies

There are a number of campus agencies that can assist students. Below, you may find contact information or telephone numbers of these agencies:

 If you have difficulty accessing any information from the Counseling Center web pages or other information throughout our site, please contact us by telephone at 910.962.3746 or by email at CounselingCenter@uncw.edu and we will provide alternatives.