Twenty-eight years ago, when Dr. Jamie Davidson left the University of Georgia for UNLV, he did not believe that the administration of the time needed to justify the need for mental health services in counseling centers.
“They told me they were going to close the counseling center,” recalls Davidson after the center’s director quit. “And I asked, ‘How can we shut down a major university counseling center?’ You know, it’s unheard of.
Students deal with mental health issues. (Becca Schwartz/UNLV).
Today, looking back at UNLV’s Vice President of Student Health (which covers a number of responsibilities, including the Center for Student Health, Student Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), and oversight of the behavioral health team), we can see how far UNLV has come. CAN (and CAPS) are moving towards prioritizing mental health.
“We still have a counseling center, so I think you know they decided to keep it,” he joked.
But then he got discouraged. It took a conversation with his wife for him to “find my Moxie” and confront the administration about what it would take to keep the center open.
Davidson said:
Twenty-eight years ago, such surveys were commonplace today, but with only himself and a very small staff, Davidson said he had to devise ways to collect and evaluate such statistics. says Mr.
“By collecting the data, one of the things we showed was that not only did students get better by providing counseling, but 85% said counseling helped them academically. Because when you’re in pain, it’s really hard to concentrate and study.”
Davidson and his team also assessed students’ dropout risk, and those who were considering dropping out of UNLV tracked their treatment progress.
result? Davidson says students who completed counseling were kept at higher levels by colleges even though they were considered at-risk.According to a 2019 American Board of Education study found that 1 in 3 students “meet criteria for clinically significant mental health problems.” The study also looked at the link between mental health and student success, finding that students with lower mental health were more likely to have a lower GPA, take longer to complete a degree, or drop out of college altogether. I understand.
“It’s like Maslow’s hierarchy,” says Davidson. “When you help students meet their core needs, you can make a big impact. It affects not only their emotional well-being, but their ability to succeed academically. I like to think of it as part of laying the foundation for good health throughout life.As the Surgeon General said, ‘If you don’t have mental health, you’re not healthy.'”
US Mental Health Statistics
- one-fifth Adults experience mental illness each year
- 1/20th adults experience serious mental illness every year
- one-sixth Young people aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year
- 50% Lifetime rate of mental illness begins by age 14, 75% by age 24
Grow to meet demand
Davidson no longer has to fight to prove the validity of the counseling center (now called CAPS), but he still has a lot of room to grow.
For example, staffing has become a national problem as campus counseling centers struggle to keep up with the growing need for mental health services. However, Davidson is thrilled to report that UNLV has seen a notable staff expansion of 50% this year. This price increase was made possible after the Fall 2021 semester he $50 student mental health fee went into effect.
“This is a great opportunity,” says Davidson. These groups have helped us get that approval and have made a huge difference in ensuring we have the staff we really need. be one person. [for mental health staffing at a university]”
This fee will help CAPS add six counselors and two psychiatrists, as well as fill new support positions, including associate director, wellness educator, and administrative assistant. In total, CAPS will employ her 21 counselors, 2 psychiatrists, 2 behavioral health providers, 2 psychiatric nurses, and her 2 wellness educators. Including administrative support, the CAPS team has a total of 33 employees serving UNLV’s community of 30,000 students.
This fall, CAPS has placed two counselors (one psychologist and one therapist) in residences on campus. Counseling staff will be available at the Shadow Lane campus by summer 2023. Mental health first aid and suicide prevention training will be significantly expanded next semester to better assist faculty and staff in communicating with at-risk and distressed students.
“The CAPS service is a game changer for students,” reports Chelsie Hawkinson, Associate Professor of Education at UNLV.
Teaching primarily in the first and second year seminar programs, Hawkinson says her teaching and research are focused on student engagement and success.
“A lot of time is spent in first-year seminars discussing the importance of developing psychosocial skills before considering the development of academic skills. Without a solid foundation, it is very difficult to focus on learning and achieving goals.When students use the services offered at CAPS, they can gain a more personal understanding of concepts related to self-regulation and social integration. increase.”
CAPS takes a holistic approach to student health and is constantly evolving and experimenting with approaches to best care. Services include outreach programming, workshops, consultations, individual and group therapy, same-day emergency services, and Therapy Assistance Online (TAO).
Students can also participate in an ‘identity space’. It’s designed to be a safe space where you can process processes, get support, share resources, and build community on campus. The current identity spaces are: The Spot: Black Student Space. La Casa: Latinx Student Space; Salam House: Muslim Student Space.
Davidson reports that the most frequently used resource in CAPS is individual and group therapy (over 10,000 visits over the past year). These days, there is also demand for psychiatric services as students enter college with previously prescribed medications. However, Davidson emphasizes that CAPS approaches the health of the whole individual and adheres to a “stepped care model.”
Davidson explains: So the basic premise is to provide the level of support that individuals require. ”
For example, students may be successful with individual or group therapy alone, or they may prefer a combination of therapy and prescription drugs. Others may want to enhance the skills they’re developing in therapy by looking at CAPS’ collection of online self-help videos to find tips for reducing anxiety and getting a better night’s sleep. increase. CAPS also gives students access to resources like her Kognito. This is a website that helps teach you how to approach and have conversations about mental health topics.
“One of the biggest misconceptions is that mental health issues are a sign of weakness, which is not the case,” says Davidson. “In fact, one of the interesting things is that it is the brightest students who have mental health issues. To let people know, “I have this, but I’m successful in my career.”
“People have the misconception that having a mental health issue means that you are not good enough or broken or flawed in some way, but you are not. If we’re being completely honest, that’s what we all have to some degree.”
