Free mental health screenings offered
By: Julianna Backer
Issue date: 10/6/08 Section: News
The SFASU Department of Human Services-Rehabilitation/Counseling Programs will be offering free anonymous mental health screening from 2 to 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 10, in the Human Services/Telecommunication Building Lobby. The program is part of Mental Health Awareness Week.
Students who want to participate will fill out a questionnaire meant to detect depression, mood disorder, generalized anxiety or post-traumatic stress syndrome. Then students have the option of taking these questionnaires upstairs to speak on-on-one with a counselor about the interpretation of their results.
"Graduate counselors in training will provide (the interpretation,) supervised by licensed counselors," said Robby Patterson, director of the SFASU Counseling Clinic.
Students who need further evaluation will be given referrals to other treatment services or to physicians.
The program is part of a series of programs organized by a non-profit organization called Screening for Mental Health, Inc and is held at many college campuses. According to the SFA Website, last year almost 200,000 people attended nationally. The event is also almost totally student-driven.
"I assign committees like publicity, public education and refreshments, but I don't micromanage," Patterson said. "It's the students' responsibility to get the word out."
In the past the event has included videos and multimedia presentations. There will also be generalized information about mental health and depression available for anyone who is interested.
"It's a public education opportunity and also an opportunity for counseling students to apply their knowledge in a practical setting," Patterson said.
The event is also open to the Nacogdoches community, not just the students at SFA.
"The difference between (the counseling clinic) and the counseling and career center is that they have licensed counselors on staff, but they're only open to students," said Patterson. "We're open to the community."
jbacker@thepinelog.com
Students who want to participate will fill out a questionnaire meant to detect depression, mood disorder, generalized anxiety or post-traumatic stress syndrome. Then students have the option of taking these questionnaires upstairs to speak on-on-one with a counselor about the interpretation of their results.
"Graduate counselors in training will provide (the interpretation,) supervised by licensed counselors," said Robby Patterson, director of the SFASU Counseling Clinic.
Students who need further evaluation will be given referrals to other treatment services or to physicians.
The program is part of a series of programs organized by a non-profit organization called Screening for Mental Health, Inc and is held at many college campuses. According to the SFA Website, last year almost 200,000 people attended nationally. The event is also almost totally student-driven.
"I assign committees like publicity, public education and refreshments, but I don't micromanage," Patterson said. "It's the students' responsibility to get the word out."
In the past the event has included videos and multimedia presentations. There will also be generalized information about mental health and depression available for anyone who is interested.
"It's a public education opportunity and also an opportunity for counseling students to apply their knowledge in a practical setting," Patterson said.
The event is also open to the Nacogdoches community, not just the students at SFA.
"The difference between (the counseling clinic) and the counseling and career center is that they have licensed counselors on staff, but they're only open to students," said Patterson. "We're open to the community."
jbacker@thepinelog.com
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