WSU Tri-Cities

AWARE Network

AWARE Network

This site is dedicated to helping WSU Tri-Cities students be successful by providing a forum for early intervention to anyone who has direct contact with students. Through this website we hope to provide you with the resources you need to assist a student, and/or open communication channels so that someone else may provide the appropriate help.

The AWARE Network is monitored Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Assistance & referral form
Are you concerned about a student's physical or mental health? Has a student's behavior caused you to worry about his or her potential actions? Become aware of the warning signs and if needed, complete the Assistance & Referral Form to inform appropriate university personnel.

Warning signs
Changes in a student's style and level of functioning are often indicators of distress. The suddenness and extent of change may reflect the severity of the difficulty.

Faculty & staff should be aware of:

  • Assignments not being turned in, or turned in late
  • A change in frequency of absences from class
  • Disinterest, apathy, and hopelessness
  • Disruptiveness in class (e.g. angry outbursts, acting out)
  • Excessive emotional content in discussing or writing class materials
  • Mention of suicide or homicide in the content of coursework
  • Significant decline or deficit in self care behaviors,(e.g. personal hygiene, extreme weight loss)
  • Noticeable changes in personality or behavior
  • Change in perception of reality
  • Significant paranoia regarding government, law enforcement, administration, etc

Fellow students should be aware of:

  • Communicating threats against self, others, or the campus
  • Fantasizing about harm to self, others, or the campus
  • Aggressive behavior or speech
  • Frequent mentioning of or discussion about death
  • Noticeable changes in personality or behavior
  • Increase in substance use/abuse
  • Disinterest, apathy, and hopelessness 
  • Social withdrawal

Immediate mental health emergencies:
Signs that the student may be experiencing a mental health emergency and, potentially, in danger of harm to self or others include:

  • Direct suicidal or homicidal statements
  • Bizarre speech
  • Loss of contact with reality
  • Extreme anxiety; panic

In these instances, walk the student to Counseling Services (West 269E), or call 911.

Faculty Handbook for responding to disruptive students

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Contact us: jklunstad@tricity.wsu.edu (509) 372-7208 • Washington State University Tri-Cities, 2710 Crimson Way, Richland, WA 99354-1671 USA