In the last 30 years, universities and colleges have been strongly encouraged to consider the impact these systems have on health promoting behaviors for students, staff, faculty, and surrounding communities. Higher Education Institutions are prime settings to promote prevention and outreach efforts for positive mental health. University and…

This article describes the design and implementation of an embedded therapy dog program through the counseling center at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. This program involves having a certified therapy dog present in the counseling center, in the waiting area, during counseling appointments, and during group therapy. It is discussed the…

When determining how best to help reduce the distress that exists among today's college students, it is believed that proactive, on-campus programming is a beneficial supplement to on-campus resources that are often utilized after concerns already exist. Helping students develop resiliency skills is one proactive measure that is believed to…

Counseling centers need to be engaged and connected on their campuses, both to individuals and to multiple systems of students, faculty, and staff. Building a campus-wide "community of caring" or "web of caring" is essential to a strong, healthy, and vibrant counseling center. This article describes one university counseling…

This article addresses the need for a comprehensive counseling center to be housed on each campus of community colleges. Counseling helps to improve student academic success and retention, transfer, and graduation rates. Current research also illustrates an increase in psychological and emotional disturbances among college students across the…

Yeshiva University established a counseling center during the 2004-2005 academic year. As a religiously based institution, the administration recognized that there would likely be significant impediments to utilization of on-campus mental health services as a result of negative attitudes about mental illness and its treatment--stigma. To combat…

This article describes Let's Talk, a counseling center outreach program. Counselors hold walk-in hours across campus to engage students who might not otherwise seek counseling. Locations are chosen to reach underserved communities. Counselors offer "informal consultation", a less formal alternative to traditional counseling.

Although college and university counseling centers often struggle with misperceptions of their work and their role in the campus community, limited research has addressed this issue. In this article, common campus misperceptions are explored. Among the issues that often increase the misperception of counselors and counseling services include…

This article introduces the use of the labyrinth as one systemic approach counseling centers can use when conducting outreach targeting the college community. The author discusses the labyrinth's history and its recent resurgence in professional settings, summarizes the principles of walking the labyrinth, illustrates its introduction on one…

This paper describes a five-stage process for the development, implementation, and evaluation of counseling outreach programs. State I takes the reader from the formulation of a germinal program idea through the procedures of assessing need for the program, assessing of agency resources, building a program planning team, and conducting a thorough…

Richland College's (Dallas, Texas) Human Resources Development Center (HRDC) offers many valuable non-instructional services to all members of the community, without requiring college enrollment. Services which have been requested have fallen into five basic categories: individual personal counseling, group counseling, family counseling,…

A formalized consultation program has increased preventive mental health services at one midwestern university. A high priority on consultation and outreach services is needed. Staff, interns, and graduate students must be trained. The role of consultation/outreach activities in the broad university scheme must be evaluated. (Author/JAC)

In response to the recognition and needs of displaced homemakers as a distinct population, this model is presented as an outgrowth of Project New Start, a displaced homemakers center sponsored by the Chicago Community Colleges. Introductory sections include an abstract of the final project report, rationale and background of the project with focus…