Is New Student Health And Wellness Center Coming to Miami University?

BY ELISABETH DODD

Miami University student journalist

Miami University is in the midst of studying how to expand its student health services building and counseling center, which was a key recommendation of a consultant hired last year to assess student wellness programs across campus.

The student counseling center and the student health services building, at 24,686 square feet, have plans to move and renovate in the future, said Kip Alishio, the Director of Student Counseling Services. It last moved in 1996.

But when that will happen, where it will go and how much it will cost remain unclear.

"I understand that the next step is to secure an estimate of the costs and and the funding to cover those costs,'' Alishio said.

"However,'' he said that Miami University President Gregory Crawford "has indicated that this is a priority and I would be surprised if there is not some plan developed within this academic year."

Consultant: Hire more people, a boss and put services under one roof

The recommendation from the consultant, Keeling and Associates, was to modify pre-existing renovation plans in order to house all health and wellness programs under one roof.

"This current renovation plan for the student health services building does not support an integrated approach to care; instead, it creates three distinct and separate service areas for each department. The proposed renovation plan should be modified to support collaboration and interaction among all of the health, counseling, and wellness units and staffs," the report said.

Miami hired Keeling last year and it provided its report and recommendations in July. Key recommendations included hiring additional staff and an associate vice-president to bridge all student health and wellness needs. The study came as students voiced frustration over long wait times and an overall lack of space, especially related to mental health services.

“We could benefit from new facilities, that being one of the ways we are able to provide more services to students is to do more group-related work and workshop-related work. We don’t have the physical space for that," said John Ward, associate director for clinical and men's services at the student counseling center. "The administration understands that we are in need of an overhaul. The waiting room is small, we have about 22 counselors after the hiring and if all had a session at the same time, there wouldn’t be enough chairs in the waiting room.

"I’ve walked in and there are people sitting on the floor or out in the rotunda there is no room," he added.

Sophomore Dion Mensah, 19, goes to the center for her anxiety and is among the 11 percent of Miami students who use use counseling services, according to that office's records.

“I was frustrated by wait times last semester, and I was too afraid to go back for medication because of the long wait times. However, my counselor was amazing, and I was able to get an appointment in a reasonable amount of time,” said Mensah.

Also the tight waiting room, with 15 chairs, added to her anxiety, she said.

“I felt like we were so enclosed it was almost like we were on display and being analyzed by each other. It’s probably part of my anxiety, but I felt so scrutinized and uncomfortable in that small space,” she said.

The Student Counseling Center's budget is $176,412, compared to last year's $172,197. About $60,000 of this budget comes from student fees.

Will MU be best in class?

According to the report, Crawford said he wants Miami to be the best in the country for student health and wellness.

In order to do that, Keeling suggested hiring an associate vice president for health and wellness that would "provide broad oversight of the Student Health Services and Student Counseling Services, and the Office of Student Wellness, and ensure effective leadership of efforts to reduce high-risk drinking and its negative consequences."

That position has not been posted and it was unclear when or if the job would be created.

While that job does not exist, Ward said the hiring of a psychiatric nurse practitioner has helped improve communication between the Student Counseling Services and Student Health Services.

The report recommended the university involve more students in decision making and increase on-campus programs related to wellness and specifically related to mental health.

Activities such as the 2017 Mental Health Forum brings students into the conversation, and organizations such as Active Minds conduct programming to help decrease mental health stigma, and to promote wellness, said Mikaela Hane, president of Active Minds.

“I think that we need more of an acceptance around mental health and understanding,’’ she said.

Student Counseling Center Building-- Photo by Elisabeth Dodd.

John Ward Staff Picture-- Photo Contributed by Miami University Creative Commons.