On Monday, April 4, from 7-8:30 pm, a multi-member panel hosted students in Hepburn Hall to discuss a number of grievances and concerns regarding the handling of mental-health-related services and issues on campus. Around 35 students showed up with their questions and thoughts about recent incidents on campus and the availability of mental health services to students who require them. Students provided insight on current challenges within academics, residential life and student-led organizations like the Advocates, SLU PHN and SLU EMS, among others.
Panel members provided crucial updates to systematic concerns throughout St. Lawrence’s campus. Counseling Services has been working diligently to sift through applications received for the recently vacated counselor positions in the offices as well as those that have been empty for a longer period of time and has set up a few preliminary interviews for qualified applicants. They are hopeful that these applicants will show promise and present well to the interview committee. This development will lead to the reduction of wait times for intake and continued appointments, with more hands-on board to assist students when they require services.
Multiple students spoke out about the wear and tear of student-led assistance and health services like the Advocates and SLU Emergency Medical Services, which often require mentally and physically taxing services to be provided by students, to students. Concern was expressed regarding the compensation for these students, who feel they are underpaid for the efforts they make to assist and attend to emergent calls, often work in high-stress environments with the potential for physical exposure to illness and other related risk factors.
One student, Margaret Hayes, spoke about some of the living conditions students face when on 24-hour calls for EMS services. “My friend has been staying in my room in a hammock overnight when she has to stay on campus for her 24-hour shifts,” she said. She was not given a room on campus due to her placement on the Sustainability Farm for the semester and was not allowed a place to stay during those long shifts, where she is required to remain on campus.” There was an almost immediate response from Maverick Cummings, the panelist from residential life, who assured the students that a room would be made available for students in situations like these.
Another student, who wishes to go unnamed, expressed grievances regarding the necessity of students to choose between their mental health and their academic responsibilities. They stated that in a number of situations, students are granted a medical slip to present to their professors if they must be absent due to illness, injury or other physical ailments, but never to those who require prompt mental health services and are unable to acquire appointments outside of class time.
Students were told that “A slip for mental health reasons is simply not a possibility” as students are “likely to abuse this resource and take advantage of the service as an excuse to stay out of class.” Students responded to this with a want and need for trust and the ability to advocate for themselves without being met with doubt and disbelief. The balance between mental and physical health requires the acknowledgement of equivalent validity of both ailments, as the effects of both vary, neither one more important than the other.