Counseling Services:

Lori Newnam, Dean of Counseling

Suzanne Gavenus, Director of Counseling and Wellness

Agenda

Mental Health

Response to Student Needs

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Counseling Opportunities

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Learn more about the many changes that have been made to increase student support and resources over the years.

National Trends and NCSSM Counseling Data

Resources and Service Needs

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Mental Health

Trends and Data

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Mental Health Trends

The Chronicle for Higher Education (2022) promoted a special report and published the following, “Mental Health Concerns on Campus,” noting that “students of all ages are more distressed than ever before and increasing numbers are enrolling with mental-health histories ... Counseling-center directors and other clinicians who work with students are seeing a significant increase in anxiety, depression, and behavioral disorders.”

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These trends, along with recent information from the CDC on youth mental health, have prompted Counseling Services to look for effective strategies to support student mental health.

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2021-2022 Data

(Durham) Counseling Services

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Utilization of Counseling Team

Over 3839 signed-in for an individual or small group session.

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Primary reason for visits are as follows:

Individual Personal/Wellness: 2097 visits

Individual College/Career: 1112 visits

Academic Counseling: 505 visits

Group Wellness: 66 visits

Accessibility Services: 43 visits

Group College Counseling: 16 visits

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2021-2022 Data

(Durham Counseling Services)

Counselors responded to 59 mental health related acute/time sensitive needs. Mental health needs may include: suicidal ideation, gesture, plan and/or attempt, self harm, panic attack, heightened emotions, or past or current trauma.

44 students received financial aid that allowed them to access mental health services from 9 NCSSM contracted therapists and psychologists. This is a significant increase as only 5 students received support from 2018-2021. The increase is due to a refinement of the process and increase in student demand.

$89,453 was spent on external therapeutic services for students who would otherwise been unable to access services and treatment

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Serving Students with Complex Needs

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• The number of students who are on psychotropic medications has increased and the management of their compliance can be challenging. Students with prescribed psychotropic medications was 52 (DUR) and 31 (MOR) in the 2023-24 school year.

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• The number of students with an Individualized Accommodation Plans (IAPs) has grown over the years.
• In Morganton, 3 students have significant visual impairments
• From 2021 to 2023, the number of DUR students with IAPs rose from 16 to 31 in the three year span.

Response to Student Needs

Counseling Services has scaled up and

enhanced services over the years

to meet the growing needs of students.

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Counseling Initiatives

• Specialization of Services: In 2018, Counseling began specializing services to meet wellness, academic, and college planning needs of students. Instead of each student only having one assigned school counselor, students were given the opportunity to be referred to one of two wellness counselors to assist students with significant and/or chronic emotional needs.

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• In Fall of 2022, Counseling Services modified the referral process so students can self-refer to Wellness Counselors

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• Wellness Counselors and Case Managers refer and connect students to mental health providers which means quicker referral processes and a greater number of students can be seen by Wellness Counselors.

Counseling Initiatives

• Donor & Grant Funded Mental Health Therapy & Psychological Testing: Funding assists students who are unable to access mental health treatment due to financial need and other barriers. Students need access to treatment, including psychological assessments for crisis intervention, ongoing therapy, psychiatrists, and psychological and psychoeducational testing.

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• Grant Funded, Temporary Wellness Counselor & Program Specialist: In December 2023, Counseling added full time Wellness Counselors and Program Specialists. These new positions research and develop resilience resources, programs and initiatives that provide information and skill-building workshops, group sessions and experiences for students, staff/faculty, and parents.

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Counseling Initiatives

• Temporary, Grant Funded Case Managers: Case Managers provide referral coordination to medical and mental health providers and bridge the gap between clinical and counseling services for students on both campuses. Services include wellness counseling, supportive comprehensive care, and medication management support.

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• Grant Funded, UPenn Resilience Program: Created Resiliency Ambassador Program for students on each campus. Students participated in a 6-week course to learn resiliency skills for themselves and to share with their peers.

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• Grant Funded, Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) Program: Faculty and staff are trained to train colleagues and students in QPR, which teaches anyone to help to save a life from suicide.

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Counseling Initiatives

• Accessibility Services: Creation of an accessibility website with updated forms, policies, and procedures. Accessibility and College: workshop for students transitioning to post-secondary; IAP process training (for select faculty members); Accessibility policy training (All Employees); Creation of new IAPs teams to include faculty members, support faculty with implementation of IAPs through individual meetings and small groups as needed

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• Wellness Activities Programming: The planning of activities to promote student wellness. Activities have included
• Pet Therapy - weekly therapy dog visits
• Walk and Talk- Student activity with Faculty
• Music and Emotion Karaoke
• Clean and Green Wellness Event: A collaboration with the Sustainability Leadership Students
• Corn Hole with Counseling - Student activity with adults
• Yoga and Tai Chi
• Self-Care Student Bags for Mental Health Awareness Month
• Stress-Less Psychoeducational Groups to learn resilience skills
• Asian Mental Health Presentation
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Counseling Initiatives

• NCSSM Counseling Intern Program: Counseling interns have become an integral part of the Counseling Services department and provide wellness, academic, and college counseling to students, as well as overseeing the Counseling January Term and other programming.

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• Intern Program Partnerships
• (DUR) UNC Chapel HIll Counselor Education Counseling Internship Program 2017 to Present
• (MOR) Appalachian State University Clinical Mental Health Counseling Internship Program 2023 to Present

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Opportunities & Needs

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Counseling Opportunities & Needs

• Over the years, NCSSM has been fortunate to receive grants and donations that have been instrumental in providing vital services to our students. However, with current funding pools drying up (all grants end June 2024), the future of these essential resources hangs in the balance.

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• Funding will allow us to continue current services. This includes preventative wellness programming, ongoing therapy for chronic and acute needs, and time-sensitive treatment to students in significant crisis with safety concerns.

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• We also seek to maintain essential roles such as wellness counselors and school counselors, and expand grant and donor funded case managers and wellness programming specialists, all of whom are instrumental in delivering preventive and responsive care to students.

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• We want to ensure that the halls of NCSSM remain beacons of hope and support is available in multiple forms to support every student who walks through our doors.

A Student and Counseling Support

This story is not about one student; rather, it is many student stories blended together to highlight how counseling support can make a difference:

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Sean is not doing well. He slowly climbs the steps of Royall to his counselor’s office. Sean hasn’t worked with a counselor or therapist in the past, but he knows he hasn’t been doing well for the past few weeks. A Peer Counseling Coordinator on his hall realized Sean was struggling and said it could help to visit the counseling floor. He’s seen his NCSSM counselor at some small group sessions at the beginning of the year, and she taught him a College and Career Planning course when his regular co-teacher/counselor was out. So, he has seen her a few times. Sean signs in at the kiosk and waits on the lobby couch. He’s no stranger to the office. With coffee, tea, and snacks being available for students, he and his friends have been up on the floor several times to get a cup of coffee and something to tide them over til dinner.

His assigned school counselor greets him and welcomes him into her office. They spend some time getting to know one another and before too long Sean shares how anxious he has been feeling with some bouts of overwhelming sadness.

A Student and Counseling Support (cont.)

Sean is feeling better just being able to talk about some of his struggles and he makes a follow-up appointment later that week. In the next session, they talk a little more about some significant peer relationship problems he has been having, along with some troubles at home. After another meeting, the school counselor asked Sean if he would consider seeing an NCSSM wellness counselor. Sean agrees. The school counselor assures him that he won’t lose her support. He will just gain someone else who is there to support him and who specializes in wellness counseling. Sean begins seeing the wellness counselor regularly. He also checks in with his school counselor who has been helping him with an academic support plan since his grades have suffered. Sean is beginning to understand some of the reasons behind stress and he has been utilizing some strategies learned in his counseling meetings. However, another layer of support would be helpful. But now that Sean realizes he feels and performs so much better with the added support his family has no money to pay for it. The wellness counselor reassures him that funding is available and after a meeting with the family, Sean is connected to one of NCSSM’s contracted mental health providers. He is hopeful about the session.

A Student and Counseling Support (cont.)

Within the next few days, Sean will begin therapy sessions with Ashley, the therapist that he has chosen and feels will be the right fit for his needs. While reaching out for support felt unfamiliar and uncomfortable, Sean is glad he took the step. He was just telling his friend about it the other night. She is struggling with a break-up and is worried about failing a class, which has made her doubt herself more than ever. She’s been feeling quite low, especially at night. Thankfully, she has made an appointment and is coming to counseling the next day.

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Want to talk further about anything shared

in this presentation? Contact us!

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Lori Newnam

Dean of Counseling,

(919) 416-2838, newnam@ncssm.edu

Durham Counseling Website

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Suzanne Gavenus

Director Counseling & Wellness

(828) 347-9176, suzanne.gavenus@ncssm.edu

Morganton Counseling Website

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