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Updating mental health services

Given the necessity of top-of-the-line mental health services at Stevens, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) has changed over the past couple years to better meet the needs of the students. According to Dr. Eric Rose, the Director of CAPS and a licensed psychologist, “CAPS is always implementing new programs and initiatives based on best practices.” One thing that was noted was the implementation of depression screenings.

These screenings occur throughout the year and in conjunction with Student Health Services on a regular basis. Notably, during the #StigmaFreeStevens campaign of April 2019, free depression screenings were offered to all participants without any appointment necessary. This was part of the Alcohol and Depression screenings that were being implemented during that same month in Babbio Atrium.

Outside of this, Rose also noted the workshops that CAPS has implemented to increase awareness of their services among those who may need them. Last year alone, 137 of these workshops were given. A list of these workshops can be found on the Stevens webpage under the “Request a Workshop” tab of the Student Affairs page. The ones specifically offered by CAPS are categorized under the “Wellness” section.

These workshops encompass a broad range of topics, many of them centered around helping students adjust to college lifestyle and training participants to better cope with trauma and distress. For instance, the workshop titled “Attila, we’re not in high school anymore”, focuses on helping first-year students transition to college life. Another notable workshop is “Healthy Advisor Relationships”, which is primarily for graduate students and focuses on fostering successful advisor-advisee relationships.

Mindfulness is also a common topic in these workshops with ones such as “Intro to Mindfulness” and “Fostering a Growth Mindset” being offered to teach participants to put things in perspective and approach their problems in a calm and thoughtful manner. Teaching students to develop their life-skills and resiliency is one of the key objectives of CAPS.

One of the ways that CAPS seeks to improve their services is through a close partnership with the JED Foundation. Last year, the administration initiated a comprehensive JED approach to combat the growing mental health crisis.

Several pillars made up this undertaking: Promote Social Connectedness, Identify Students at Risk, Increase Help-seeking behavior, Follow Crisis Management Procedures, Develop Life Skills, Restrict Access to Potentially Lethal Means, and Provide Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

Most of these pillars are in some way connected to CAPS. For instance, Resident Assistants and Student Affairs faculty all participated in a training on mental health awareness hosted by CAPS during Summer 2019. Moreover, CAPS collaborated with Alpha Phi sorority in co-sponsoring a talk by Lauren Cook called “Name your story: How to talk openly about mental health” to help break down the stigma associated with mental illness. CAPS also partnered with Wellness Education staff to present sessions about mental health awareness at the New Faculty Orientation of last year.

In addition, a suicide prevention training program called “Question, Persuade, Refer” is now offered by CAPS. Last year it was reported that four Stevens staff members have been trained as instructors in this program with more to come.

Over the past couple years, more people have been hired to provide more diverse services. Back in October 2018, a staff psychologist who is fluent in Mandarin and a new full-time Wellness Educator were hired. Later, in February 2019, a part-time drug and alcohol specialist was hired.

On top of all this, when the President’s Mental Health Task Force was created in July 2019, not only was Dr. Eric Rose appointed, but several others specializing in mental health were also brought in to assist in crafting solutions. Such appointees included Dr. Ashley Lytle, an Assistant Professor of Psychology in the College of Arts and Letters, and Dr. Theresa MacPhail, an Assistant Professor specializing in public health and scientific knowledge production.

To better serve the mental health needs of the Stevens community, our school has expanded its outreach through updating CAPS, partnering with the JED Foundation, and connecting students to services outside of campus. For instance, Stevens’ recreation department now accepts PE credit for a Mental Health First Aid course. This course is offered through a program outside of Stevens, the Mental Health First Aid USA, and teaches students how to respond to those experiencing a psychological crisis.

Stevens has also put together the THRIVE wellness fair. The THRIVE wellness fair is a collaboration between CAPS, Student Life, and Wellness Education to offer a community fair for students to connect with local partners committed to health and wellness, such as the Lukin Center for Psychotherapy and the Counseling and Wellness Center of New Jersey.  

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