New Programs Ease Access to Mental-Health Services
Counseling and Consultation Services, an arm of University Health Services, recently launched two innovative programs designed to ensure quick and easy access to mental-health counseling services for students.
With the new Access system, students can drop in for a same-day initial counseling consultation, instead of scheduling an appointment and possibly waiting several weeks to talk to a counselor.
“Students were understandably frustrated if they had to wait for two weeks just to have an initial consultation about their options,” says Danielle Oakley, director of UHS Counseling and Consultation Services. “The Access system will eliminate that time barrier and make it easier for students to ask us for advice and support.
“Parents can suggest an Access visit as the start of the help-seeking process,” Oakley adds. “It’s an opportunity for students to talk to a professional about their major challenges and for the counselor to help determine what services would be most appropriate for helping address those challenges—whether those are services available at UHS or elsewhere in the community.”
The Access system is just one of the new ways that UHS Counseling and Consultation Services is reaching out to serve more students. Another drop-in program, Let’s Talk, lets students chat with UHS counselors in various sites around campus such as the Red Gym, the Student Activity Center, and Ingraham Hall.
“Making members of our staff available outside our counseling center, in locations where students may be working on class projects or hanging out with friends, helps demystify what it means to talk to a counselor,” says Amanda Ngola, director of campus-based services for UHS Counseling and Consultation Services. “The more informal atmosphere makes it easier for students to take that first step forward.
“There are no appointments and no paperwork, and visits are in neutral locations,” says Ngola. “We want it to be easy to seek support. We want the students to know that we’re there and that our doors are always open, whether at Let’s Talk or at UHS.”
Let’s Talk consultations are available Monday through Friday. Times and room numbers can be found on the University Health Services website.
UHS Counseling and Consultation Services include individual, group, and couples counseling; psychiatry services; eating disorder, ADHD, and alcohol and other drug assessments; and referrals to appropriate mental-health resources in the community. A number of wellness services also are available, including yoga and meditation classes, nutrition consultations, and stress-management counseling.