THE DROP
A Greater Need for
Mental Health Support Counseling and Psychological Services to prepare support systems post COVID-19. BY RORY BALL | PHOTOS BY JESSICA BREWER | DESIGN BY BROOKE GARRETT
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s students begin to transition back onto Ohio University’s Athens campus following the coronavirus pandemic, faculty and students are preparing for an increase in much-needed mental health services. Although it can be overwhelming to consider how much the lockdown has negatively affected students’ mental health, Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) at OU is prepared to offer students the specific resources that they need to strengthen their mental health. Dr. Rebecca Conrad Davenport, associate and clinical director for CPS, elaborates on how important it is for CPS staff to prepare for expected increases in the number of students who reach out for mental health services this semester. “We will continue to monitor our availability, resources and utilization so that we can respond to the demand and needs as the semester unfolds,” says Davenport. CPS plans to effectively help students seeking services by adding hours to initial appointments, which will allow students to quickly access the right therapy program for them. CPS offers many different therapy programs, self-guided therapy applications, individual sessions, online workshops and even emergency phone consultations. “CPS has worked hard to diversify its services and utilize best practice models that are used across many university counseling centers to reach maximum students with limited resources,” says Dr. Paul Castelino, director of CPS. To fund these services, the Office of Budget Planning and Analysis (OBPA) at OU allocates funds from the Housing and Residence Life auxiliary funds and the OBPA central fund. In the 2019 fiscal year, CPS received $2,601,180 and that number significantly dropped for the 2021 fiscal year to $2,198,919.
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backdrop | Fall 2021
With such a dramatic decrease in funds, it can be discouraging to consider how CPS will adjust its services to assist students. In the 2017 fiscal year, the OBPA approved a $1,000,000 investment request that CPS used to increase staffing levels. The previous approval gave CPS an opportunity to support students in the future, and CPS is attentive to how important students’ mental health is. “Our staff is consistently working to be responsive to students and staying abreast of the standards of care in our respective mental health fields,” says Davenport. Sarah Ketchen Lipson, Ph.D., M.Ed., is the associate director for the Healthy Minds Network and principal investigator for the Healthy Minds Study. The Healthy Minds Study focused on students’ worsening mental health throughout the pandemic. “‘In the pandemic, we’ve seen the highest rates of students indicating their mental health has negatively affected their academics,’” says Lipson in Luke Hejl’s Timely MD article, Post-pandemic Campus Life and Student Mental Health Needs in Higher Education. CPS focuses on the well-being of every student seeking mental health services despite obstacles brought on by the coronavirus. Throughout the pandemic, CPS has had to shift its services to an online format that would function the same as in-person assistance for students. Now, as students arrive back on campus, CPS is able to offer their services in person and virtually. Just like CPS’s other services, the Ohio University Body Project had to shift all training sessions to an online format. The organization offers a four-week prevention program that gives students training sessions with student educators to increase body acceptance and decrease risk for developing eating disorders.
