Mental Health Services struggles with high demand

Understaffing means long waits

By: Laurie Wilbur

Posted: 12/3/08

Student demand for Counseling and Mental Health Services (CMHS) at UConn is up 30 percent since last year, according to director Barry Schreier.

With understaffing a major issue, this increase could mean even longer waits for students seeking care.

According to Schreier, UConn falls short of providing an adequate amount of counseling staff. With the suggested national faculty-student ratio being anywhere from 1:1,000 to 1:1,500, UConn roughly comes in at 1:1,900.

The department sees anywhere from 8 to 12 percent of the student body annually.

With care being more sought after now, CMHS is struggling to keep up with demand. The addition of former Violence Against Women Prevention Program director Betsy Cracco to the staff at the close of last semester showed a sign of improvement for the department, however extensive waits persisted.

Non-emergency situations usually have a three week wait and medications can take roughly a month to obtain, Schreier said. For many students, this delay may prove troubling.

A new budget approved this summer for CMHS provides hope for improvement. The department is seeking a new staff member for an alcohol and drug program; currently, there is no one on staff that is qualified for this area, according to Schreier. Other positions are being looked into, as well. Still, he believes the budget may not be sufficient to meet student demand.

Since staffing shortages are a problem not likely going away, CMHS took action and began coordinating with the Humphrey Center on campus. This clinic provides individual, family, couples, and marriage counseling.

Although the majority of the Center's clients are non-students, it has been experiencing a surge in student referrals since starting to coordinate with CMHS.

Doris LaPlante, clinic director of the Humphrey Center, said in a phone interview that the center sees approximately 70 to 100 patients monthly, has 25 active counselors and 41 UConn student referrals.

While 41 students may seem small in the context of the number of students seeking services, it does seem to be alleviating some of the demand.

"This coordination is a great example of how UConn is working together to be more responsive," LaPlante said.

In response to the sharp increase in students seeking counseling, LaPlante replied that it seems to be an "ever increasing trend" as society becomes more open and accepting of mental health treatment.

Both she and Schreier could not give a clear reason for the large increase.

"I think it's because the workload over the years has become more and more demanding and students aren't prepared for it the way they should be," said Ralph Merant, a 5th-semester communications major. "High school doesn't really prepare students for what college really does bring."

Still, Schreier insists that the time a student must wait for non-emergent cases is rather typical.

"There isn't any practice that will immediately speak if it's non-emergency," he said.

When students call for care at CMHS, they are immediately scheduled a 15-minute evaluation phone call with a staff therapist, according to the department's Web site. The average wait is around three weeks, however it could take longer.

For students who are not content with this, CMHS provides group therapy. These weekly sessions are open to all and students can show up with no prior appointment or registration. According to the CMHS Web site, groups range from general support to specific support such as STDs and eating disorders.