The University’s Counseling and Psychological Services center will host free mental health wellness screenings Feb. 19, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Newcomb Hall 360.
The screenings will involve students signing in, filling out paperwork to describe what they would like to discuss and a subsequent 10 to 20 minute session with a CAPS counselor. After the session, the counselor will make recommendations to help the student feel better or seek outside help.
Andrea Iglesias, CAPS assistant director for outreach and liaison programming, said the screenings are intended to give students feedback and make suggestions about mental health resources without the students having to actually go to CAPS.
“We do this event because … we think there are a lot of barriers to coming to CAPS and asking for help,” Iglesias said. “[There’s] certainly a lot of stigma around mental health and cultural barriers and all kinds of things, so we want to make it more accessible for students to be able to talk to counselors and learn about what CAPS has to offer and what other resources are available.”
Iglesias also said some students don’t need to come into CAPS and could benefit from a few suggestions on mental wellness provided by the quick screening.
“This is an opportunity to learn new ways of caring for themselves and for each other,” she said. “There’s actually a lot of people who come to talk about concerns they may have for a friend, or someone they’re worried about.”
Fourth-year College student Laura Biver, CAPS Peer Health Educator events intern, said they are working towards alleviating the stigma surrounding mental health so anyone who may be struggling with mental health issues would feel comfortable in seeking help.
“We want people to know that there’s no problem too big or too small,” Biver said. “Maybe what they’re feeling is normal, maybe it is a little more severe, but there should always be someone there that you feel comfortable talking to.”
Biver said anyone can attend the screening, especially if they are are having a particularly hard semester or general concerns about their mental health.
“They can just go talk to a CAPS counselor or a Women’s Center counselor, and just get a little check up and see how they’re doing,” Biver said. “And if they need extra help then the counselors will send them somewhere they can get that.”
The University’s Women’s Center will also be holding a mental health screening day Feb. 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Women’s Center building.
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