Palo Alto Community College
Presentation on
Dealing with Difficult People
by
Dr. Elizabeth M. Stanczak
Executive Director of Health &
Counseling Services
University of Texas – San Antonio
Dealing with Difficult People
• Keep your focus on someone’s behaviors and
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not their mental status
Know you Student Code of Conduct – this will be
your best friend when it comes to behavioral
problems
Use your Student Judicial Affairs office to deal
with difficult students
Human Resources will help with difficult staff or
faculty.
Law Enforcement will help with difficult people!
Dealing with Difficult People
• What is mental illness:
– A clinically diagnosable disorder that
significantly interferes with an individual’s
cognitive, emotional &/or social abilities.
– The diagnosis of mental illness is generally
made according to the classification systems
of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-IVR) or
the International Classification of Diseases,
Tenth Edition (ICD-10)
Dealing with Difficult People
• Why someone becomes upset:
– Not feeling heard
– Not getting what they want (or need)
– Not feeling important (“just a number”)
– Frustrated
– Confused
– All of the ABOVE!
Dealing with Difficult People
• First thing to do:
– Listen (actively and intently)
– Remain calm (ignore harsh words)
– Alert others to the issues (elicit support)
– Never move to put yourself in a position of
being “alone” with the person
– Explain what you can do, and what you can’t!
– Bring in a supervisor (there is strength in
numbers)
Dealing with Difficult People
• Things are getting “out of hand”
– Call your campus Security Officer(s)
– If available, contact your Counseling Services
for support
– Call San Antonio Police Department for
assistance
– Ask permission to contact a family member
– Continue to remain calm and “talk with” the
student/person
Dealing with Difficult People
• UTSA SIRT
– We have a team of mental health
professionals who review all reported
incidents where there is a concern for
someone’s safety or the safety of others
– Mandated Assessment
– Based on University of Illinois Suicide
Prevention Program
– Interview and Testing is used to assess level
of risk, along with educating about the
student code of conduct.
Dealing with Difficult People
• Behavior Intervention Team
– One UTSA Police Sgt., one UTSA Counselor
(me), one Student Judicial Affairs Officer, and
one legal counsel from Legal Affairs. This is
the “Core” BIT.
– Expanded BIT deals with non-student related
issues
– Any threat to the campus community
Dealing with Difficult People
• Interviews
• Data – information, specifics
• Assessment
– Mosaic
– Personality Assessment Inventory
• Risk for self-harm
• Risk for violence
– Only verbally
– Potentially physically
Dealing with Difficult People
• Use Community Resources
• Respect the rights of others
• Seek Legal Counsel
– Don’t violate the American’s with Disabilities
Act
– Ensure that you can legally do what you are
intending to do (mandate assessment, etc.)
Dealing with Difficult People
Questions?
Dealing with Difficult People
• Thank you for your attention and
questions!
• Please feel free to call if you have any
questions:
– (210) 458-4140 (Counseling Services)
– Wellness Center 1.810
– University of Texas – San Antonio
– (210) 458-4142 (Student Health Services)
Again, THANK YOU