Pointing to the well-documented recent rise in anxiety and depression among young adults, University Business magazine featured changes Hamilton has made in its health and wellness services to address student needs. In an Oct. 13 article titled “How one college enhanced mental health services to reach 30% more students,” Director of Counseling and Psychological Services David Walden explained the expanded range of services offered to students, which include group psychotherapy, peer counseling, psychiatric and dietitian services, and even acupuncture.
Just six years ago, the College had a three-person staff working to handle all matters of mental health and wellbeing. “Now, if you count all of our part-time and multidisciplinary folks, we’re at about 16 or 17 people. We’ve shifted from just providing individual therapy and frontline treatment to providing a comprehensive array of integrated services to students,” Walden said.
Walden noted that the goals of the center include providing direct clinical service; wellness support that helps students connect with one another and take care of themselves — pace themselves; and crisis services that ensure students in distress or crisis have resources at any time of day or night.
The article also highlighted the College’s Joel and Elizabeth Johnson Health and Wellness Center and noted its central location on campus.
