The Ohio Department of Higher Education has awarded Walsh University a grant to support mental health services for undergraduate and graduate students. The funding, which was based on fulltime enrollment and made available to all higher education institutions in Ohio, will be used by Counseling Services to increase campus-wide knowledge, awareness and accessibility to mental health care currently available on campus while removing barriers to those options by expanding treatment options and spaces.
Students often seek a confidential place to discuss concerns when difficult situations arise, when problems seem overwhelming or when options appear limited. Counseling Services, staffed by licensed professional clinical counselors and counseling interns, currently offers free mental health counseling, programming and outreach to students enrolled at the university. Services include walk-in appointments, teletherapy, individual and group counseling, mental health screenings, career counseling, workshops and programming related to a wide variety of personal growth and mental health issues.
While the $94,478 grant will provide important professional development, which is imperative to keep with current trends, new research for effective practice, and learning new techniques, it will also fund a mental health symposium speaker and advanced trauma training for campus counselors. Funds will also be used to establish programming spaces in the Residence Halls and The Paul & Carol David Family Campus Center, making mental health services available in student community spaces. That project is expected to be complete by summer 2025.
