More Feet on the Ground: Referring a peer to a resource
Content warning: The “More feet on the ground” course contains discussion of suicide, self-harm, etc.
“More feet on the ground” is a short course (~45 minutes) designed to teach students how they can best support their peers using simple principles and real-life scenarios. We highly recommend taking the course, as it addresses nuanced support situations and allows you to apply the skills you’ve learned.
Responding to Students in Distress or Difficulty
The Responding to Students in Distress or Difficulty (RSDD) protocol was developed to guide student-facing staff and faculty on how to recognize and reach out to students in distress or difficulty and connect students with appropriate resources and support. Within the RSDD protocol are six steps designed to navigate your interaction with students: Recognize, Reach Out, Rate, Respond, Review, and Reflect. This resource was originally created for McMaster staff as a guide for how to best support students. Its principles extend upon the 3 R/s if you need more guidance on how to recognize distress in your peers and address it.
Access the full RSDD protocol here.
Access the 8-page RSDD protocol here.
The 6 R’s: Steps in helping a student in distress or difficulty
| Step | Action | Learning |
| 1 | Recognize | Signs that the peer may need support based off emotional, behaviour, physical, and academic indicators. |
| 2 | Reach Out | How to approach a peer or identify a trusted alternate after recognizing their indicator(s) of distress. |
| 3 | Rate | How to rate or confirm the level of distress or difficulty, and how much support a peer may require depending on certain criteria within your interaction. |
| 4 | Respond | How to support a peer most effectively depending on the level of support you think they require. |
| 5 | Review | What steps should be taken to ensure the peer received proper support.
This section is more catered to staff requirements after referral to health or emergency services. |
| 6 | Reflect | What steps should be taken to ensure personal wellness after responding to students in difficulty or distress. |