Although the University Counseling Center’s recent relocation to Lester Hall has helped with accessibility, understaffing has made it difficult for students to book timely appointments.
University Counseling Center Director Quinton “Bud” Edwards said he acknowledged the understaffing issue and is working with the Division of Student Affairs, Provost’s office and Chancellor’s office to address personnel needs.
Edwards said administration has allowed the center to hire temporary clinicians to help with the staffing needs until permanent staff members can be hired and trained.
“I have outlined a plan and presented it to the vice chancellor and assistant vice chancellor for Student Affairs that address the long term goals of the UCC, including personnel,” Edwards said. “They have been very supportive of the plan and continue to work with me to reach those goals, and it takes time to build a staff but we are working diligently to get us to our goals.”
During the 2014-2015 academic year, more than 1,000 were seen in a clinical capacity in more than 5,100 appointments in the center. The center also conducted 14 groups throughout the year, meeting for 353 sessions and serving 813 participants. 213 psycho-educational presentations focusing on a variety of mental health and developmental topics were presented to over 2,900 members of the campus community.
The number of students an individual counselor works with varies depending upon their other responsibilities, from the number of follow-up sessions, initial assessments, walk-ins and outreach groups or presentations conducted.
The time of the semester also affects the amount of students visiting the center, Edwards said, because clinical service demands usually increase steadily to a peak around midterms and maintain a high level for the rest of the semester.
Junior journalism major Dylan Lewis has been using the services the counseling center provides since freshman year. He said he feels the center is understaffed but always scheduling follow-ups can eliminate the difficulty in making appointments.
“Each time you go, they always schedule your follow-up appointment,” Lewis said. “I went every week, so it’s very easy when you actually set a time that you can go and go that time every week. If you’re one of those people that is kind of sporadic with your times and scheduling, then it can be a lot more difficult.”
Despite current staffing issues the center is experiencing, Lewis said he encourages students to understand the great things that the center does for the Ole Miss community.
“They do a lot of things, such as allowing students to come and talk,” Lewis said. “I was very, very blessed to be referred to a great counselor and to really be able to open up and talk with someone about my experiences coming in as a freshman. I give all the credit to the Counseling Center for me being at Ole Miss, because without them I probably wouldn’t be here.”
Considering the probable growth in need for student counseling services, the Edwards said the center plans to adjust accordingly.
“In the long-range plan, we are preparing to meet that need through increasing staff, increasing budget and building a comprehensive training program,” Edwards said.
– Alexis Neely
