In terms of policy, something that has recently been on my mind is the requirements that universities must meet in terms of counseling. So I reviewed a few accreditation agencies to see what their requirements are. A few interesting tidbits I picked out:
1. According to the International Association of Counseling Services,”‘Every effort should be made to maintain minimum staffing ratios in the range of one F.T.E. professional staff member (excluding trainees) to every 1,000 to 1,500 students, depending on services offered and other campus mental health agencies”. This ratio is aspirational by nature, encouraging counseling centers to approximate the range in order to ensure that there are an adequate number of professional staff members to meet the clinical needs of the students, as well as the other service needs of the campus community.”
2. Under the Council of Advancement for Higher Education, “[Counseling Services] must advocate for greater sensitivity to multicultural and social justice concerns by the institution and its personnel modify or remove policies, practices, facilities, structures, systems, and technologies that limit access, discriminate, or produce inequities include diversity, equity, and access initiatives within their strategic plans foster communication that deepens understanding of identity, culture, selfexpression, and heritage”
3. According to NY State Law, ” the setting shall not be a private practice owned or operated by the applicant”
So essentially laws and recommendations related to mental health services are that they must not be profit driven, must be intersectional/inclusive, and should be proportional to the student body and its needs. Perhaps then, mental health services should be assessed by these specific types criteria in a very transparent and publicly available way. Ideally, I think students should assess the center based on their inclusivity/intersectionality. Local, outside organizations should also be included in evaluating the types of services available vs. what is needed in the community; they can then provide administration or the counselors with relevant training in terms of the needs of the community. That way, the voices of students are heard and the strive for better mental health services becomes communal.
