The Counseling and Wellness Center on Chico State’s campus could potentially see major or minor budget cuts this coming year.
It is unknown by the center how much money will be redirected to another source, and the current clinical director was unaware that this was even happening.
“An estimated number of 185 students were seen weekly last semester,” said Devjani Banerjee-Stevens, clinical director of the Counseling and Wellness Center.
The center on campus makes students their priority and would hate to see this deficit happen.
If there were to be a major change in the money they receive, it would be necessary for them to cut back on hours to stay within budget.
One thing that could potentially happen is reducing counselors or giving them less hours which wouldn’t allow students to be seen as frequently.
Currently, there are two post masters interns that work in the counseling center as student therapists. But, a higher number of five graduate students are interning to become full time therapists in the future.
The Counseling and Wellness Center would also need to cut back on student outreach. This means they would be less likely to table on campus or come into classrooms throughout the semester.
What the student outreach team does over the course of the year is go into classrooms and hold discussions and lectures about mental health and resources the counseling center provides on campus.
Coming into the center is a great way to have your thoughts heard as well as receive professional feedback and advice.
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They also offer a quiet place to sleep and use of massage chairs inside the “Zen Den l” which is currently located within the Counseling and Wellness Center.
When coming to the center for the first time, they will get a quick 30 minute evaluation to pair you up with the right counselor.
There are many reasons why students utilize this space, including everything from “interpersonal conflicts or disagreements to extremely serious concerns over suicide or potential violence.”
To find more information or to see a counselor visit the Chico State’s Counseling Centers Website.
Carly Campbell can be reached at [email protected] or @carlyorion on Twitter.