Top 5 Indicators a Student Isn’t Ready to Return after Medical Leave
When to return to campus is a very frequent conversation I have with clients and their parents. There always seems to be a mad rush to return. I’ve been doing this long enough now where there are a clear indicators that a student is not ready to return, and if anything, we’re setting them up to have another crisis and/or need to withdraw mid-semester. I want to avoid those internalize micro-failures by slowing down the pace of returning to campus.
These below list of reasons may across as fairly obvious. When a student or their parents are in the thick of the the original medical leave, sometimes they can’t see the forest through the trees. It’s my job to help with bringing the student and their parent out for a perspective shift.
If a student had another recent hospitalization, this is reason to pause on the the return to campus process. If they are still needing that level of care, even just for an overnight stay it’s dangerous to allow them to return to campus. The likelihood of another hospitalization is imminent. If you believe there are safety concerns, this is a reason to not return.
If the student is seeing a treatment team and they have suggested continued care for a set duration and have specifically clinically recommended not returning to campus, serious take their professional recommendations into consideration. You are paying them to help with your medical and mental health and if they are advising against a return to college immediately, know it’s for a reason (or several). If the student also hasn’t been entirely participatory in the treatment process while away from school, this is also an indication they may not be in a position to return to school. They need engage in treatment. If they don’t, you can anticipate they likely won’t fully engage in being in the classroom either.
If they are unwilling to create an Advance Directive and/or won’t sign releases for any family members to be in communication with a treatment team. Even worse, if they refuse to continue seeing professionals during the transition back to campus this is a red flag to not return. A student who took medical leave will need a supportive team for their return. If you “plan to fail (in having a team), then they plan to fail.”
If their sleep is inconsistent. Additionally, if they also aren’t focusing on other areas of wellness (i.e. eating nutriously, staying physically active, etc.) you can expect that this will carryover and be out of balance when they’re back in school. A student needs to be focusing on all areas of wellness to ensure can be successful in life, not just as a student.
Refusing to consider a lighter courseload. Frequently, I actually see more students that fair being behind and will try to stack their courseload. This is a set-up for failure. Once a student experiences stressors that come with juggling several deadlines and requirements for classes, they crack under pressure. They self-medicate, pull all-nighters, stop taking meds (or care of themselves in general) and before you know it we’re back to square one in the thick of a crisis.
Sometimes it’s hard to say no to a student who is eager to get back. Often, they’ll use leverage around needing to complete their degree, or need to get back to their friend group. It pulls on the heartstrings. It’s important to understand as a parent that you are allowed to hold a boundary in not paying for your child to return to campus when they are clearly still unstable and not ready. Saying no now may help eradicate future medical or mental health crisis, allowing your loved one to return to campus and complete their coursework when they are fully ready and capable.
For questions or comments contact Joanna.
