Helping Your Fellow Colleagues
Who is considered a Person of Concern?
A person of concern can be any individual dealing with an emotional, psychological or physical crisis that may interfere with his or her ability to continue attending classes or working at the University of Mississippi.
Situations individuals face that may be cause for concern include:
- Ongoing alcohol and/or drug use
- Financial hardship
- Hospitalization for physical or mental health reasons
- Injury or accident affecting physical and/or mental ability to do course work
- Potential threat to themselves or others
Signs of a person of concern may include but are not limited to:
- Physical health issues
- Current or emerging mental health issues
- Challenges with academic schedule
- Social adjustment
- Family matters
- Policy violations
Helping Faculty Members
How do I help a Professor or Instructor?
Click here to see helpful FAQs in the event you feel that your professor or instructor needs help.
Helping Staff Members
If you are a staff member at the University of Mississippi and you witness concerning behavior by another staff member, faculty member or a student, then you have a couple of options. If the person of concern causes an immediate threat to safety, call UPD at 662-915-4911 or dial 911. If the person of concern is not an immediate threat, fill out a Person of Concern form (NEEDS TO BE CREATED) or a Student of Concern Form.
Potential UM Staff situations:
Changes in co-worker’s behavior
If a co-worker is showing up to work later than usual and appears to be dealing with personal issues, you may want to discuss the behavior with your co-worker or supervisor, depending on the severity of the situation. Another option would be to fill out a Person of Concern form (HERE) and describe your observations.