As the demand for counseling services increases, the UF Counseling & Wellness Center has developed new ways to serve the needs of the Student Body.
The center’s administration officials increased the number of individual annual counseling sessions by more than 350 to combat the demand, but they’ve also looked to technology to fill the gap.
CWC clinical psychologist Jennifer Alonso said the center typically has a waiting list twice a year. Midway through both the Fall and Spring semesters, counselors usually reach workload capacity and begin a waiting list, which they try to cap at 50 students to ensure that everyone receiving treatment receives an adequate number of sessions.
“That is our gut problem,” associate director Shari Robinson said. “Once we get to the end of the semester, we get saturated. All of our counselors are completely full.”
She said the average full-time counselor meets with about five clients a day.
Once the waiting list is closed, students who contact the CWC seeking assistance are informed that no regular appointment times are available and encouraged to make use of group therapy, the Disabilities Resource Center or licensed psychologists in the surrounding Gainesville area, Alonso said.
“It is troubling that some students are not able to be seen regularly,” she said.
UF finance sophomore Caroline Sorel, 19, sought assistance at the CWC last Fall after the rigor of her classwork made her stressed and anxious.
She said the center was unable to offer her an appointment for four weeks.
“It was disappointing because I couldn’t see someone when I needed them most,” Sorel said. “They are not effective if they can only see you per three to four weeks.”
When Kate Logan, a 21-year-old UF elementary education senior, went to the center for an assessment appointment, she was told individual counseling had a long waiting list. However, staff referred her to an outside provider that accepted her insurance.
“I had a good experience,” she said. “UF was very helpful with helping me find an affordable provider.”
Alonso cites insufficient funds as one of the core reasons for the CWC’s inability to meet clinical demands on campus.
During the 2011-2012 school year, 83 percent of the center’s funding came from tuition health fees.
Last year, the center served 4,736 students — 450 less than 2012.
In order to serve more Gators, staff introduced new online counseling options during the 2012-2013 school year.
Self-help program The Desk offers interactive resources for students facing typical concerns that plague students during their college years.
Therapist Assisted Online, known as TAO, allows students to speak to counselors through weekly video chat sessions and complete daily mood logs on an iPhone app.
It is the first of its kind to be developed and researched at the college and university level in the U.S.
The seven-week program includes self-led interactive exercises and discussion forums.
Brian Shaw, a counselor at the CWC, said setting up a meeting time each week can be challenging for busy students.
“So much of students’ lives now are online socially, even with classes,” he said. “Having this online is convenient for them.”
A version of this story ran on page 1 on 1/14/2014 under the headline "UF counseling center balances demand, staff"
