Kennesaw State’s Counseling and Psychological Services is accepting student applications for a student mental health advisory board until Sunday, March 29.
CPS Staff Counselor Dr. Alesha Harris described the board of students as the arms of CPS that can reach places staff cannot get to all the time. The board consists of seven to 10 members who are trained in giving presentations on mental health for the campus community, Harris said.
“Are we offering things that students actually need? And do they know about our services?” Harris said. “The best way to do that is to get a group of current students who are on campus who are involved and have them be our eyes and ears about what is working for students and what is not.”
This year marks the second year that CPS is searching for a student mental health advisory board. The board was put in place by KSU’s CPS Director Josh Gunn for students to give feedback on its services, Harris said. With the feedback received from students, CPS adapts the services suggested by them.
Through the student mental health advisory board, CPS intends to spread the word about services it offers other than one-on-one therapy. Workshops, groups and self-help seminars are some of the other ways for students to get their different types of needs met, Harris said.
Any registered KSU student can apply to be on the board, regardless of major. CPS is specifically looking for undergraduate students, but rising seniors can also apply. CPS is looking for any students wanting to get involved in mental health or wanting to learn more about mental health, Harris said.
The student mental health advisory board begins at the end of the summer break with a week-long training. When the fall semester starts, the board starts to get presentation requests for mental health awareness, Harris said. The board is heavily involved in the annual Mental Health Matters Week each September and develops the annual Suicide Prevention Week in March.
“It’s a really great group of students that we have,” Harris said. “They’re very motivated and have come up with a very creative program for us for this Suicide Prevention Week that will be taking place March 16 through March 20.”
Information on events and initiatives by the board will be displayed on the TV screens around campus, through posters and flyers posted around campus on the CPS website and on the CPS Instagram page, Harris said.
Students can apply for this volunteer position on the CPS website. The deadline for applications is Sunday, March 29 at midnight, Harris said.
