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In the U of A’s Student Experience Action Plan (SEAP), 66% of student respondents identified prompt and reliable access to supports (including mental health supports) as very important or essential to a positive student experience.
In alignment with this feedback, Counselling and Clinical Services (CCS) is expanding both its program offerings and the number of clinicians. I was able to connect with Kevin Friese (Assistant Dean - Health & Wellness, Dean of Students), Jason Murray (Director, CCS), Christina Spinelli (Associate Director, CCS) and Virginia Duran (Manager, Single Session Program) to learn more about what these changes mean to students.
This service expansion aligns with not only the SEAP, but also the National Standard of Canada for Mental-Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students, which has guided the U of A’s commitment to supporting student mental health.
One-at-a-time Therapy
It’s called One-at-a-time Therapy (OAATT) because that’s how the sessions are booked. This is a new program designed to provide more students with faster access to therapy. Through this program, new appointments open daily and are booked online to better meet student needs, both virtually and in-person.
Here are a few of the main benefits, according to Duran:
- OAATT provides students with the fastest access to therapy.
- It can be booked online, the first CCS service available in this manner. Many students indicated that this is an ideal access method for them.
- It is accessible and efficient, providing semi-structured, highly skilled sessions.
- The service is present and future oriented, and students will leave with a clear plan
The program is accessible now and you can book a session online.
Growth in the CCS team
The university is funding additional positions to increase access to supports, including new staff to support the OAATT program as well as an expansion of the CCS satellite team.
The satellite team are CCS psychologists placed in physically diverse locations around North Campus; DICE, CCIS, Arts and Triffo Hall. They guide and support U of A faculty and staff in matters of student mental health. Murray shared that the CCS satellite team is making expertise, connections and consultations more available around the U of A through highly-trained professional staff. It has large impacts in terms of representation on committees and working groups, in addition to student resources like the Dear Maddi advice column or the Grad School Confidential podcast.
As the CCS team has grown, so has the diversity and lived experience represented on the team. There is a strong emphasis and commitment to diversifying the lived experiences and backgrounds of the CCS clinicians to address the unique needs of our students, and the changing nature of the U of A student body, says Friese.
There are a total of three new OAATT clinicians, one new satellite psychologist and one additional psychologist in the CCS clinic which is a significant expansion of the team directly providing services to students.