Dear Campus Community –
Recently, there has been increased attention, both locally and nationally, on the mental health issues that is facing college campuses across the country. I wanted to update you on some of the steps we are taking on campus to address the growing mental health needs of our students.
Many of the facts are clear. More college students than ever before are arriving on campuses across the country with diagnosed mental health issues and prescribed medications. UMD is no exception. We are seeing increased numbers of students who have mental health challenges including depression, isolation, anxiety, stress and concerns about safety. This issue has been building over the past several years.
The University has taken and is planning a number of actions to address this mental health crisis:
- More resources: The Counseling Center has redirected resources to hire more staff. A search is currently underway for three additional full time counseling psychologists.
- More services: The Counseling Center has started running workshops for students dealing with anxiety and depression. Twelve workshop groups (3 one-hour sessions), each composed of 4-12 students, are currently underway.
- Online counseling: The Counseling Center has expanded their list of referral options to include online counseling at www.betterhelp.com and www.talkspace.com. Many other institutions have implemented a similar online service approach.
- Emergencies: The Counseling Center is open 8:30 am-9:00 pm, Monday through Thursday and 8:30 am-4:30 pm on Fridays. Students in crisis can walk in anytime and wait to be seen.
- After hours: Students in crisis can call ProtoCall emergency crisis counseling service available 24/7 when the Counseling Center is closed. By calling the Counseling Center main number, students will be redirected to speak with a licensed therapist at ProtoCall.
- Partnerships: In addition to a robust network of faculty and staff across campus, a liaison from the student group SPARC, Scholars Promoting and Revitalizing Care, was identified to work with the Counseling Center and the Mental Health unit in the Health Center. Dr. Sharon Kirkland Gordon, Director of the Counseling Center, and Dr. Marta Hopkinson, Director of Mental Health in the Counseling Center, have already met with their representatives.
- Funding: Over the past few years, the University has allocated $550,000 per year in additional funding for counseling and mental health services. Mental Health and the Counseling Center have hired additional full-time and part-time psychiatrists and licensed psychologists with this additional support.
One misleading point that is being perpetuated through social media is the wait time to see a therapist on campus. Students with urgent mental health needs will always be seen immediately, as a result, other students will have to wait.
Just last month, 200 counseling staff from the Big Ten schools gathered on our campus to address this problem that we all share. We must all work together to identify solutions. Our students’ health and well-being is critical to their academic success.
Sincerely,
Linda M. Clement
Vice President for Student Affairs