OSAS launches 'EU-Link;' aims to strengthen student referral system, mental health support network
Rey Marco Z. Casiño
The Office of Student Affairs and Services (OSAS) launched EU-Link to strengthen its referral system, connecting teachers and advisers with the right professionals to address student challenges. Like last year, OSAS partnered with department counseling chairpersons to expand mental health services throughout the student community.
Prof. Capilitan from Southern Luzon State University discussed the importance of structured referral processes for effective student counseling. She emphasized that referral systems benefit from assessment tools, including interviews, observations, attendance records, and GPAs, to identify the appropriate interventions.
Prof. Casiño introduced the RACE Against Suicide training for counseling chairpersons, focusing on recognizing behavioral signs of distress. He presented the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (CSSR), a tool for assessing suicide risk to guide mental health professionals in providing support.
Dr. Serrano outlined OSAS’s developing referral process and introduced a directory of local professionals in behavioral and pharmacological therapy. He clarified that students in need should be referred through OSAS, allowing counselors to manage the referral process effectively.
Counseling Representatives from each department . To strengthen the referral system within the school community, OSAS launched EU-Link to connect with the teachers and advisers to ensure that the challenges of our students are referred to the right professionals. Same with last year, this also sought the help of the counseling chairpersons in every department—who serves as the right arm of the office to cascade its mental health services to the entire student community.Joana Rodessa Capiitan on the importance of referral systems in schools. Prof. Capilitan of Southern Luzon State University talked on counseling and referral systems for students. A systematic and structured referral process is an important way for the students to get the right therapy according to their needs. She claimed that, “A referral system in an organization will be more effective if coupled with an evaluation, or an assessment tool to properly identify their problems." Interviews, observations: direct and indirect, student attandance and GPA’s are important assessment areas to determine the approprite interventions.Rey Marco Casiño on RACE Against Suicide. Prof. Casiño gave a presentation of the RACE against suicide training. This is designed for the counseling chairpersons to address the behavioral manifestations of distress which can lead to suicidal ideations. Here, he introduced the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (CSSR) which can measure the suicide behaviors in an individual—for the mental health professionals in the organization to perform the proper actions.
Dr. Liandro Serrano on counseling referral process. Then, Dr. Serrano discussed the counseling referral process which was beginning to be established by the OSAS department. Here, he presented a directory of professionals available in the area with expertise in behavior and pharmacological therapy. In cases that the client would need such, he made it clear that they (clients) should be referred to the OSAS and the counselors are the ones to do the referral process.
