\u201cWe\u2019re here and eager to help.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s according to MJ Raleigh, the interim co-leader of UConn\u2019s student Mental Health Services, a part of Student Health and Wellness. Twenty-three providers are working remotely in the University\u2019s first-ever effort to provide remote mental health services for UConn students who are experiencing depression, anxiety, or other mental health concerns.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur staff went from zero \u2013 100 percent in person \u2013 to 100 percent online in two weeks,\u201d says Raleigh. \u201cIt was amazing. They just jumped right on and have been phenomenal; they\u2019re doing a great job of getting in there and seeing their students.\u201d<\/p>\n
The transition to online-only services means that students already in therapy have been able to continue their sessions, meeting with their providers over the phone or online, and that students who are in need of mental health services \u2013 especially in a time that many might be experiencing heightened uncertainties and stressors \u2013 are fully able to access those services, even if they\u2019ve never before sought assistance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve changed the service delivery, but almost all services are available,\u201d Raleigh says. While students can still visit the fourth floor in the Arjona Building on the Storrs Campus \u2013 the building is open \u2013 they\u2019re not going to actually sit with a person, she said, and yoga, meditation, and group sessions as well as medication evaluations for new clients have been suspended for the time. There is, however, a private mental health space in Arjona available for student use; students who are still on campus, or who live nearby, can use the computer equipment in that room to connect and meet with their counselor or talk to the on-call staff or contact the front desk to set up their appointments.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust call our front desk, say, \u2018I\u2019d like to see somebody,\u201d says Raleigh. After an initial triage call, staff will walk through how service delivery has changed and evaluate the student\u2019s service needs, establish the next best step for care, and then assign them to a provider who will reach out through tele-medicine.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if you\u2019ve never come up before, and you\u2019re not even sure this is where you want to be, give us a call and we\u2019ll walk through that,\u201d says Raleigh. \u201cWe\u2019ll figure out what is the best thing for you. That\u2019s always our first priority.\u201d<\/p>\n
Similarly, UConn\u2019s Student Care Team is working to help students who might be struggling \u2013 operating remotely, but at full capacity, and continuing to manage its caseload while taking on new referrals.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re still meeting with all of our students,\u201d says Associate Dean of Students Claudia Arias-Cirinna, who serves as the Director of Student Care and Concern and oversees the work of the Student Care Team. \u201cWe are checking in on them; seeing how they\u2019re doing; seeing how the transition from in-class to online is going for them; and seeing how they\u2019re feeling and how they are coping with their depression, anxiety, and stress, and anything else that is going on with them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Student Care Team operates on referrals from faculty, staff, family members, and other students, and follows up when there is a concern that a student might pose a potential threat of harm to themselves or others. While it may be more difficult for faculty to identify students who are struggling now that classes are online, Arias-Cirinna says anything that raises a red flag can be referred to the Student Care Team, which will then follow up to check on the student and see if there are any resources that might be of help.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are so many different ways of helping students,\u201d she says. \u201cNow faculty, because they\u2019re going online, won\u2019t be able to see them physically and how they react or don\u2019t react. So anytime they\u2019re concerned, just to put in a referral. We\u2019ll work with them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Raleigh and Arias-Cirinna say that while some students who struggle with their mental health are more comfortable in their home settings and are thriving in the University\u2019s transition to online learning, for others \u2013 particularly those with unhealthy home environments or those grappling with the stress of social distancing and the fast-changing COVID-19 situation \u2013 the transition poses many challenges.<\/p>\n
But help is available for those who need it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are students who are now emailing faculty or staff and saying, \u2018I\u2019m really anxious or stressed, I don\u2019t know how to do this,\u201d Arias-Cirinna says. \u201cPlease, put in a Student Care Team referral so that we can get them the support that they need. We can get them set up with services, and we\u2019re still working for them 100 percent. We want to make sure that our faculty, staff, and community understand that.\u201d<\/p>\n
To learn more about UConn\u2019s Mental Health Services, visit counseling.uconn.edu<\/a>. Students can call 860-486-4705 to make an appointment for a tele-mental health visit with a provider.<\/em><\/p>\n