The University passed ASUP’s resolution asking for a new position to help students with mental health issues
(Photo courtesy of fromthebarn.org)
By Philip Ellefson, Staff Writer ellefson14@up.edu
Last year, students visiting the Health Center for mental health counseling were often told they had to wait two to three weeks for an appointment. This year, that will be changing.
At the end of last semester, ASUP drafted a resolution asking the Health Center to hire an additional mental health specialist to counsel students. Senior Julia Balistreri, ASUP secretary, said the resolution was written because of the long wait students experienced.
"That's really detrimental to the students in general," Balistreri said. "Finally we realized that it needed to happen."
The resolution was approved last spring by ASUP with strong support across campus.
"It got overwhelming reviews in senate, with constituents and in the Health Center," Balistreri said.
The passage of the resolution led to the creation of a new position in the Health Center - the assistant director of counseling and training. The assistant director will be a licensed psychologist working full-time on campus.
Balistreri hopes the new assistant director will be able to help students monitor medication usage for mental health problems.
"That is such a touchy thing. It's not guaranteed that the medications will work," Balistreri said. "Someone who could monitor that more often could prevent worsening of conditions."
The assistant director will not be able to write prescriptions for students. But he or she will be able to refer students to doctors who can prescribe mental health medications, according to Health Services Director Paul Myers.
Myers hopes to hire someone for the position soon. He has been interviewing candidates from as far as the East Coast.
"We've got some good candidates," Myers said. "I'm hopeful that the position's going to be filled by Halloween."
Myers estimates that the assistant director will spend half of his or her time counseling students and half carrying out administrative duties. The assistant director may work on developing specialty programs in testing, disability services or eating disorder specialization.
In addition to hiring a new mental health specialist, the Health Center staff has also instituted a new triage system for scheduling counseling appointments. In this system, students can walk in at any time for a 15-minute appointment, in which a counselor will decide what kind of counseling a student needs. If needed, the student can then schedule a longer appointment.
"We did some research and we made adjustments to our intake system. We have counselors who are on duty every day to triage what kind of counseling is needed," Myers said. "A lot of students are able to get their consultation need met right there at that appointment."
Myers said the new system, along with the new assistant director, will serve the student community well.
"It will position us to better meet the needs of the student community," Myers said. "I think it is an example of the administration putting the University's mission to action."
