2008 Woodie Awards
Grant increases mental health care
Ali Tweten
Issue date: 4/23/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
A grant that will allow students one crisis psychiatric appointment per week and campus doctors a half-hour phone consultation with psychiatrists to help students with mental health cases will go into effect June 1.
The grant, named Joint Proposal for Expanded College Psychiatric Consultation and Services, is worth $10,800 and is funded by the CentraCare Health Foundation, which gives thousands of dollars per year in grants to improve health in Central Minnesota.
"We were seeing dramatic changes in both the number of cases and the severity of students who were depressed or dealing with really major psychiatric issues and needed help," said grant writer Corie Beckermann, director of SCSU Student Health Services.
Beckermann co-wrote the grant with John Eggers, interim director of SCSU Counseling and Psychological Services.
In talking with St. Cloud Technical College, St. John's University/College of St. Benedict and the St. Cloud Hospital Behavioral Health Clinic, Beckermann said they found other schools were having the same problem in increasing numbers of psychiatric patients and the severity of cases.
The new grant, which adds the free weekly psychiatric appointment for students, is an addition to the half-hour phone consultation the staff had last year.
"Instead of sending the patients in to pay $200 an hour (to see a psychiatrist), it's free for students. We pay the bill on the grant fund, so students are never charged. It's available every week. They don't have to make any appointments, go anywhere or use their insurance, and it's all taken care of here," Beckermann said.
The phone consultations give university medical and counseling staff access to trained psychiatrists to discuss complex student mental health cases.
"It's been a huge benefit. Our staff has learned a ton from the psychiatrists," Beckermann said.
Considering the recent events at Virginia Tech, if faculty or students witness a red flag in someone on campus, Beckermann advised them to tell the person they care, recognize it might be a sign of something the student needs help with and suggested they go to the counseling center or health services.
Faculty members have called the counseling center asking what they should do if a student displays alarming behavior either in their homework or in class, Beckermann said. The center is willing to talk to faculty about any questions they might have.
"Make sure that the student knows that you care about them and that you realize they might be in distress, and let them know what the resources are on campus," Beckermann said.
In case of real danger, the options depend on the nature, location and timing of the emergency, but Public Safety or the police may need to be called.
Students can go to Health Services and see someone immediately if they feel they are having a crisis. Health Services is also a resource for students who are more comfortable talking to a doctor or nurse practitioner.
"In terms of mental health, I think it's important that people know what's available on campus," Beckermann said.
The grant, named Joint Proposal for Expanded College Psychiatric Consultation and Services, is worth $10,800 and is funded by the CentraCare Health Foundation, which gives thousands of dollars per year in grants to improve health in Central Minnesota.
"We were seeing dramatic changes in both the number of cases and the severity of students who were depressed or dealing with really major psychiatric issues and needed help," said grant writer Corie Beckermann, director of SCSU Student Health Services.
Beckermann co-wrote the grant with John Eggers, interim director of SCSU Counseling and Psychological Services.
In talking with St. Cloud Technical College, St. John's University/College of St. Benedict and the St. Cloud Hospital Behavioral Health Clinic, Beckermann said they found other schools were having the same problem in increasing numbers of psychiatric patients and the severity of cases.
The new grant, which adds the free weekly psychiatric appointment for students, is an addition to the half-hour phone consultation the staff had last year.
"Instead of sending the patients in to pay $200 an hour (to see a psychiatrist), it's free for students. We pay the bill on the grant fund, so students are never charged. It's available every week. They don't have to make any appointments, go anywhere or use their insurance, and it's all taken care of here," Beckermann said.
The phone consultations give university medical and counseling staff access to trained psychiatrists to discuss complex student mental health cases.
"It's been a huge benefit. Our staff has learned a ton from the psychiatrists," Beckermann said.
Considering the recent events at Virginia Tech, if faculty or students witness a red flag in someone on campus, Beckermann advised them to tell the person they care, recognize it might be a sign of something the student needs help with and suggested they go to the counseling center or health services.
Faculty members have called the counseling center asking what they should do if a student displays alarming behavior either in their homework or in class, Beckermann said. The center is willing to talk to faculty about any questions they might have.
"Make sure that the student knows that you care about them and that you realize they might be in distress, and let them know what the resources are on campus," Beckermann said.
In case of real danger, the options depend on the nature, location and timing of the emergency, but Public Safety or the police may need to be called.
Students can go to Health Services and see someone immediately if they feel they are having a crisis. Health Services is also a resource for students who are more comfortable talking to a doctor or nurse practitioner.
"In terms of mental health, I think it's important that people know what's available on campus," Beckermann said.