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During a year of virtual learning during the pandemic, many students struggled to adapt. For others, returning to in-person learning proved challenging.

There have been several student suicides, and in early October, Professor Thomas Meixner was fatally shot on campus; a former student is charged in the slaying.

After the Meixner shooting on Oct. 5, there was a 23.5% increase in students seeking mental health services compared to the week before, said Counseling and Psych Services director Aaron Barnes.

For the entire fall 2022 semester CAPS saw a 60% increase in students seeking crisis care.

Counseling and Psych Services has increased the number of students it’s able to see, as well as the number of staff. CAPS sees roughly 1,500 students a month, but the number fluctuates, said evaluation manager Rachel Abraham.

“In 2019, our staff had about 40 people, but as of now it’s increased to 70,� Barnes said.

The recent addition of crisis counselors on campus means students have now emergency access to care, said UA Provost Liesl Folks.

University officials are working alongside CAPS on ensuring the wellbeing of students, and understand that mental health is a huge aspect to success in academics, Folks said.

“Providing wraparound support services, including mental health resources, remains a high priority,� she said. “We know that the academic success of students is not only contingent upon instructional support, but ensuring they have access to services that help meet the needs of their overall physical and mental well-being.�

Urgent-care style

Barnes listens to feedback from students and has worked to change the direction of the university’s mental health services.

The old model for services, which started out with a triage assessment, was disliked by students and faculty. After the initial triage, the student would be rescheduled, and often with a different counselor than they started with. This wasn’t ensuring the best quality care for students, so Barnes sought a more beneficial model.

Since 2019, the old model has been replaced with one that caters more to the needs of students and is more of an urgent-care-style, according to Barnes, who said it’s more about letting students have a say in their treatment to make sure it’s the right fit. Now, students can schedule their appointment online and select the counselor who best fits their needs.

“A core part of our services is making sure every student that needs counseling, they get counseling,� Barnes said.

There are some limitations to continuing to expand the services CAPS can offer. These include money, as well as space.

With the large staff increase in a short amount of time and limited space in the building, many people are sharing offices. Additional counselors have been placed in other campus cultural centers to maximize space and provide more care.

‘We will find a way’ to overcome cost barriers

CAPS gets additional funding from various grants, but Barnes said it’s simply not enough.

“My dream is to provide free services, but ultimately it’s a cost to us,� he said.

Barriers to students seeking help include concerns about insurance coverage, financial stress and not being able to secure an appointment in a timely manner. Barnes said CAPS has options for students seeking services who are worried about the cost.

“Cost should never ever ever be a reason a student can’t come to get care at CAPS because we will find a way,� Barnes said.

Still, he acknowledges CAPS and its services might not be a perfect fit for all students.

UA psychology major Kimberly Hay looked into therapy through CAPS in November 2021, but ultimately decided it wasn’t going to work out for her.

“After the initial consultation, I didn’t feel confident I was going to be able to receive the care I needed,� Hay said, adding that she was also concerned about the cost, as her insurance wasn’t accepted by the center. “I’d like to see them add more psychiatric services in the future. That would provide students with the care they need on a whole other level.�

Barnes said he and the rest of the team are on the students’ side and that it’s easier to get things moving when students are advocating for change and resources. CAPS’ new operation model started with a student focus group, he said.

“Student voices impact our work here and I want the university to stand out and be premiere when it comes to health care,� Barnes said. “ I think we will achieve that because of students.�