Information for Parents & Guardians Regarding Mental & Emotional Health of Student-Athletes
Sending a student-athlete to college can be filled with excitement and worry. As they embark on their new journey, you may have questions about how to best assist your student-athlete with the inevitable “bumps in the road” that can be expected with transitions to collegiate academics, athletics and social life. It is expected that student-athletes will experience some distress related to this change, and they may reach out to you, as parents/guardians, for support and questions.
The following information was created to help you know how to best assist your student-athlete with emotional/mental health support while they attend Marquette University.
What if I am concerned about my student-athlete’s mental/emotional health but it’s not a life-threatening emergency?
If it’s not a life-threatening emergency, you can let your student-athlete know they have resources on campus to assist them with their well-being, including the Director of Student Athlete Mental Health and Performance Service at 414-288-3040 and the Marquette University Counseling Center at 414-288-7172. All services are free and confidential. Encourage your student-athlete to call and schedule an appointment.
You may consider sharing your concerns with your student-athlete’s athletic trainer as part of the medical team. Once the athletic trainer is aware of the mental health concerns, they can meet with your student-athlete, assess their concerns/needs, consult with the sports medicine treatment team, and refer them to appropriate resources.
Should my student-athlete see the Director of Student-Athlete Mental Health and Performance or someone from the Marquette University Counseling Center (MUCC)? What’s the difference?
Student-athletes can access either resource. The Director of Student-Athlete Mental Health and Performance has a background in working with college student-athletes on issues related to athlete identity, performance anxiety, injury recovery/rehabilitation, and managing the demands and expectations of being a student-athlete. The MUCC has a diverse staff of licensed clinicians to address common mental health concerns, such as anxiety, depression, body image concerns, and college student developmental concerns.
Students who are not sure where to go for services are welcome to consult with either office to find a good fit. It should be noted that the Director of Student-Athlete Mental Health and Performance Service is housed within athletics and is visible around athletic facilities and at games/practices. If a student-athlete prefers not to have their counselor visible in their athletic environment, they are encouraged to meet with someone at the MUCC.
As a student-athlete’s parent, will we be made aware if our student-athlete has accessed mental health services?
By law, if your student-athlete is 18 years of age or older, their medical record, including their mental health record is confidential. As such, information cannot be released about their medical/mental health record without a signed authorization for disclosure completed voluntarily by the student.
I don’t want information about my student-athlete, but I want to know if they are attending appointments. Can you release that information?
All records, including attendance of appointments cannot be disclosed or released without the student voluntarily signing an Authorization for Disclosure.
I don’t want information; can I share information with you about my student-athlete?
MU Sports Medicine always appreciates having information so that we can best assist your student-athlete. However, if you do contact us, we may reach out to your student-athlete directly to assess the situation and help them get connected to appropriate resources. In order for us to build trust with athletes, we may notify the athlete that you were the concerned party that alerted us to the concerns.
Are there ways to notify the university of my concerns without connecting with someone in athletics?
The Marquette University Counseling Center can consult about a situation and provide non-athletics department resources that may be helpful to your athlete. They can be reached at 414-288-7172.
Additionally, anyone concerned about a Marquette University student can also contact the Marquette University CARE team. By making a report to the CARE team, the CARE team will review the concerns, reach out to your student-athlete, and help them access available resources.
CARE Team Referral (maxient.com)
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Student-Athlete Mental Health
Marquette University On-Call Counselor for Mental Health
Campus Resources for Student-Athlete Mental & Emotional Health
Let's Talk (Informal Consultation)
The following information was created to help you know how to best assist your student-athlete with emotional/mental health support while they attend Marquette University.
What if I am concerned about my student-athlete’s mental/emotional health but it’s not a life-threatening emergency?
If it’s not a life-threatening emergency, you can let your student-athlete know they have resources on campus to assist them with their well-being, including the Director of Student Athlete Mental Health and Performance Service at 414-288-3040 and the Marquette University Counseling Center at 414-288-7172. All services are free and confidential. Encourage your student-athlete to call and schedule an appointment.
You may consider sharing your concerns with your student-athlete’s athletic trainer as part of the medical team. Once the athletic trainer is aware of the mental health concerns, they can meet with your student-athlete, assess their concerns/needs, consult with the sports medicine treatment team, and refer them to appropriate resources.
Should my student-athlete see the Director of Student-Athlete Mental Health and Performance or someone from the Marquette University Counseling Center (MUCC)? What’s the difference?
Student-athletes can access either resource. The Director of Student-Athlete Mental Health and Performance has a background in working with college student-athletes on issues related to athlete identity, performance anxiety, injury recovery/rehabilitation, and managing the demands and expectations of being a student-athlete. The MUCC has a diverse staff of licensed clinicians to address common mental health concerns, such as anxiety, depression, body image concerns, and college student developmental concerns.
Students who are not sure where to go for services are welcome to consult with either office to find a good fit. It should be noted that the Director of Student-Athlete Mental Health and Performance Service is housed within athletics and is visible around athletic facilities and at games/practices. If a student-athlete prefers not to have their counselor visible in their athletic environment, they are encouraged to meet with someone at the MUCC.
As a student-athlete’s parent, will we be made aware if our student-athlete has accessed mental health services?
By law, if your student-athlete is 18 years of age or older, their medical record, including their mental health record is confidential. As such, information cannot be released about their medical/mental health record without a signed authorization for disclosure completed voluntarily by the student.
I don’t want information about my student-athlete, but I want to know if they are attending appointments. Can you release that information?
All records, including attendance of appointments cannot be disclosed or released without the student voluntarily signing an Authorization for Disclosure.
I don’t want information; can I share information with you about my student-athlete?
MU Sports Medicine always appreciates having information so that we can best assist your student-athlete. However, if you do contact us, we may reach out to your student-athlete directly to assess the situation and help them get connected to appropriate resources. In order for us to build trust with athletes, we may notify the athlete that you were the concerned party that alerted us to the concerns.
Are there ways to notify the university of my concerns without connecting with someone in athletics?
The Marquette University Counseling Center can consult about a situation and provide non-athletics department resources that may be helpful to your athlete. They can be reached at 414-288-7172.
Additionally, anyone concerned about a Marquette University student can also contact the Marquette University CARE team. By making a report to the CARE team, the CARE team will review the concerns, reach out to your student-athlete, and help them access available resources.
CARE Team Referral (maxient.com)
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Student-Athlete Mental Health
Marquette University On-Call Counselor for Mental Health
Campus Resources for Student-Athlete Mental & Emotional Health
Let's Talk (Informal Consultation)