An Inclusive Approach to Increasing Access to Student Mental Health Services

Removing barriers for students to use mental health services is one of the most important goals of college administrations today – particularly for students of color and diverse backgrounds.

In a recent article, Diverse outlined the various mental health challenges students face today and discussed how educators can offer more effective support. According to the 2023 Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) for returning students and the 2023 Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE) for first-year students, 66% of the student respondents to both surveys indicated they felt nervous, anxious, or on edge to the point where it was affecting their lives. Fifty-six percent of CCSSE respondents reported that emotional or mental difficulties impacted their academic performance during the four weeks prior to taking the survey, and 37% said mental health issues could even eventually cause them to withdraw from courses or college. Dr. Nichole Kang

College campuses have made great strides in making mental health services available to students, but access remains a critical issue. Thirty percent of CCSSE respondents said they didn’t know where to go for mental health support, and 42% reported not seeking mental health support despite feeling that they needed it. All mental health support is not created equal, and an opportunity remains to more effectively direct students to support that’s best suited to meet their needs. According to the CCSSE survey, 27% of Black students said it was essential that a mental health provider understands their cultural community (including racial/ethnic identity), and 59% said it was important. Similar figures were reported among Latinx students.

An Inclusive Approach

As educators passionate about and dedicated to the success of our students, we have an obligation to step in and play a role in alleviating this issue. Without a doubt, mental health treatment and counseling must be done by professionals. But considering our daily interactions with students and deep understanding of what it takes for them to be successful, there’s an opportunity for us to help more actively.

At Montgomery County Community College (MCCC), we take a slightly different approach to supporting the mental health of our students, centering around facilitating access and removing barriers to care. A primary component of this approach involves integrating mental health support with other basic student wellness services. Many other educational institutions segment student services into different silos. But to us, improving student health and wellness requires a collaborative approach where different departments can work together to meet all student needs.

For example, the student Wellness Center at our Pottstown, Pa. campus is much more than a counseling center. It’s a place where students can receive a variety of mental health and non-academic resources, including online mental health counseling, resource coaching, food resources, and collegiate recovery programming. This space also includes our food pantry, where students with food insecurity can stop by to secure essentials.

With so many resources in one centralized hub, our wellness staff can more frequently get in front of students to start a dialogue and create a connection. When students come to us for food or other wellness services, we’re able to check in with them and begin the process of breaking down typical barriers to mental healthcare access. Our staff spends a lot of time outside of the center filling snack baskets, presenting to classes, and engaging students in interactive activities; this allows students to recognize us and feel more comfortable coming to us for support. By creating this initial touch point and solving one of their immediate issues, we can build trust and create dialogue that destigmatizes receiving mental health support.

Taking the initiative to ask for mental health support can feel like a daunting task to many students. By integrating mental health support into all facets of student wellness, we’re better able to make the full cadre of resources known to the campus community. As is evidenced by a recent Healthy Minds Study survey, using this method has dramatically increased the percentage of students at MCCC who know where to turn for help with their mental health – increasing 23% between our 2019 and 2023 surveys.

Our partnership with TimelyCare is another extension of this integrated model. TimelyCare offers 24/7 virtual mental and medical healthcare for students at no cost. Students can talk to a licensed provider any time of the day and can receive traditional scheduled counseling and psychiatry support. TimelyCare also offers access to information that can help facilitate finding local resources and includes a new forum where students across the nation can anonymously connect by sharing their experiences in their own mental health journeys.

It Starts with Educators

Removing barriers to care is an essential step in improving student mental health. For students with limited means to pay for counseling or psychiatry, it is critical we do all we can to facilitate access to the right care at the right time. Doing so requires a more welcoming and inclusive approach that integrates services across campus. By meeting students at natural touch points in their student journeys, educators will have more opportunities to form close relationships and offer help. We’re proud of what we’re building at MCCC and believe this model can be adopted by other educators to improve access to critical mental health services.

Dr. Nichole Kang is director of the Wellness Center at Montgomery County Community College.