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Family Resources

Your student's emotional well-being

Your son or daughter is going to be experiencing a tremendous amount of growth and change throughout his or her time at USF, so you can anticipate that he or she may feel overwhelmed, stressed out, anxious, or even depressed on occasion. While these feelings often resolve themselves without assistance, it is sometimes helpful for students to discuss their concerns with a family member, staff or faculty member, or trained professional.

For students coming to USF from a culture in which problems are typically worked out with the help of a family member, seeking help from another source may be awkward. If this is true for your student, please respect him or her for having the courage to ask for help when it's needed, and trust that our staff will do all that they can to help your student resolve his or her concerns.

If you become concerned about the emotional health of your student, you may wish to talk with him or her about the services that exist; we offer individual and group counseling, and psychiatric services to USF students. Parents and guardians can also consult with a Counseling and Psychological Services professional to discuss your worries and talk about ways to help your student. If you have questions or concerns, call (415) 422-6352.

If you have urgent concerns about your student's physical or mental health, encourage your student to give us a call or call us yourself.
 
 
A special word to parents and guardians about alcohol and other drugs

You have probably heard a lot about drinking and drug use on college campuses. Fortunately, most USF students tend to drink in moderation or not at all, and even fewer use illegal drugs. At the same time, abuse of alcohol and other drugs causes or contributes to significant harm for a sizeable subset of students and those around them. These problems include alcohol poisoning, poor academic performance, accidents, and sexual assaults.

Even though students are young adults, parents can play an important role in helping their children make good decisions in relation to alcohol and other drugs. To help your son or daughter avoid legal, health, or academic problems, we encourage you to talk with him or her about your expectations and the risks associated with drinking and drug use. Although you may have had such conversations in the past, it is helpful to have an ongoing dialogue rather than a one-time talk.

Counseling and Psychological Services offers services to students who may be struggling with an alcohol or other drug problem. If you are concerned about your son or daughter’s drinking or drug use, please contact us for advice.

For additional alcohol and other drug-related resources for parents visit The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention’s "Parent Connection" and College Drinking.

Suggested Reading & Resources