With over 60% of college students meeting the criteria for at least one mental health problem, Albion College’s Counseling Center has become a resource for maintaining students’ mental well-being.
From individual and group counseling to campus workshops, the counseling center is dedicated to the mission of promoting “the intellectual, emotional and personal growth of Albion College students.”
One student, Marshall senior Jamie Berry, said that when she entered college, the counseling center helped her structure her life with tools like “calendars and different ways to help cope with my feelings and emotions.”
A New Location
Part of Albion College’s additions and renovations to campus have included the relocation of the Counseling Center to the first floor of Ferguson Hall.
Associate Dean for Wellness and Mental Health Michelle Croce said that while the counseling staff was worried about being in “such a central location,” they made efforts to make students more comfortable seeking support.
“We’ve had all kinds of conversations about removing or lowering those barriers. We’ve frosted our glass. We’re out there rearranging things,” Croce said. “This becomes sort of a separate space, even as it resides in the center of campus and in an administrative building.”
Assistant Director of Campus Wellness Melissa Sommers said that while students might need to get used to the relocation, it was “very well planned out.”
“I think our location is one of the better ones in the building because you can use the back stairs. Maybe you’re a little nervous about coming in – you can just come up the back stairs,” Sommers said. “It is still a very private space.”
Croce said that the office recognizes that “any number of students might come in not having had any counseling or not knowing what it is.”
“We provide space to sort of unpack and have the student be able to determine what of that was helpful and what wasn’t,” Croce said.
The Intake Process and Services Offered
Albion College has a reported campus population of 1,354 students. Mental Health Counselor Tyler VanEvery said they see about a third of the student population in their office every year.
“I think that’s indicative of how much people need support during this kind of challenging portion of their lives,” VanEvery said.
Since becoming part of the Office of Integrated Wellness in 2021, counseling services have expanded to address not only mental health but also “social, physical, emotional, intellectual, environmental and spiritual wellness.” Students seeking support can walk in, meet with secretary Isabel Snyder and explore the available options and services.
VanEvery said that the counseling process begins with students filling out an intake form. They then meet with Sommers to assess and determine the best approach for their counseling needs.
In addition to counseling, Sommers also assists students with case management, helping them identify additional services they may need. She can address health insurance inquiries, offer guidance on CPR training, answer questions about fitness classes and more.
Croce said that while some students seek long-term therapy, it’s more common for them to have quick questions that staff can address, or to seek short-term counseling.
Croce added that being able to see the growth between when students first enter and then leave college is “mind blowing.”
“It’s like, ‘I am both the same person and a totally different person because I’ve done all of this work and now I can do all of these things,’” Croce said.
Telehealth
VanEvery added that to best assist students, counselors are “constantly training in the latest, most cutting edge, helpful approaches that are out there.”
One of those approaches is telehealth, which VanEvery said “removes any barriers that the pandemic created.”
“We still see a lot of that anxiety and maybe hesitancy to connect,” VanEvery said.
The counseling office is further continuing its partnership with TimelyCare, a virtual health and counseling service. Director for Mental Health of TimelyCare Seli Fakorzi said that the platform works by working with mental health supporters on campus to assist students.
“How we usually come along and support is by making sure that students are aware of the services they’re accessing, and then also to make sure that we’re working hand in hand with the college,” Fakorzi said.
Fakorzi added that once students register, they “enter in a space where they’re comfortable. They’re able to schedule a session from the platform, but what’s most important is that they’re able to pick their provider.”
Despite physicians and counselors not being affiliated with the college’s counseling department or Albion’s Oaklawn Express Care, TimelyCare is still free for Albion students and available 24/7.
Student Development
Associate Dean for Wellness and Mental Health Shannon Ufkes has reintroduced the campus program Active Minds in an effort to get students to connect over mental health. Active Minds aims to establish student-led support groups to drive mental health advocacy and change on campus.
Sommers said that the office has additionally developed a peer liaison program to learn what events students are interested in running or attending.
“We’re trying to get student orgs and groups more involved in our events, instead of us just trying to guess at what students enjoy,” Sommers said.
Besides connecting students to resources across campus, VanEvery said that one of the center’s goals is to “fight to erase stigma.”
“We don’t want someone who is struggling with their mental health to see that as a weakness,” VanEvery said.
Berry said that using counseling services is “not a bad thing.”
“They’re here to help you, go in there and use that resource,” Berry said.
For students on the fence about counseling, VanEvery said that he wants students to know that “there are options, resources and help available to help students feel comfortable to approach those things.”
Students with further questions and/or concerns are welcome to meet with the counseling staff or email counseling@albion.edu.
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