With finals week approaching, some Binghamton University students turn to the Counseling Center for help in managing stress. The Counseling Center itself, however, may need some help of its own.
Short-staffed and in demand, the Counseling Center is struggling to satisfy the needs of students, according to Dr. Elizabeth Droz, the department’s director. With a current ratio of one counselor for every 1,747 students, the Counseling Center does not meet the recommended proportion of one counselor for every 1,000 students, she said.
Droz, who has been the director for 10 years, said that when she first began, there were 5.2 counselors on hand, and the current number — which is calculated as an average of part-time and full-time staff members — is 8.9.
Pointing out the growth of student population from 10,000 to more than 14,000 in 10 years, Droz said the increase in counselors does not compare with the increase in students.
“We’ve increased the staff, but not as fast as the student population,” Droz added. “It’s really grown. I don’t think it’s anybody’s fault that we haven’t been able to hire as fast.”
An insufficient staff hurts the students looking for help, Droz stated. Students seeking counseling are often put on a waiting list depending on their circumstances.
“Any way you look at it, we have a waiting list,” Droz said. “I don’t like that.”
Some students have to wait up to a month to see a counselor.
“I don’t think that’s quality service,” Droz said.
“We only put someone on the wait list that can wait,” she said. “We ask the student if it is OK and we are very up front with them.”
The administration is aware of the staff shortage at the Counseling Center and is working to help alleviate this problem, Droz said.
“The president knows about our problem,” she said. “She likes what we do and she supports us.”
In a recent meeting with the deans of the University, Droz said the issue was addressed.
“We talked about the ratio of students to counselors,” Droz recalled. “We talked about how it’s lacking. A lot of the schools have grown immensely and we haven’t kept up with that change.”
Droz, who serves as president of the Association of University and College Counseling Center Directors, works in a managerial position for all of the counseling centers within the SUNY system. Droz pointed out that she not only deals with a lack of counselors at Binghamton University, but the issue in regards to the state as a whole.
“We have support all the way around,” Droz said. “What we are trying to do is figure out what the state budget can do for us.”
Counseling centers on campuses around the nation are suffering similar problems.
“There are over 1,700 campuses nationwide that are short-staffed,” Droz said.
Dr. Sandy Colbs, director of Student Counseling Services at Illinois State University, said recent events have made staff issues at college counseling centers a topic of discussion.
“The lack of sufficient counselors is not a growing problem, but a longstanding problem,” Colbs said. “Incidents like VA Tech shooting and the NIU shooting have highlighted the issue in the public media.”
On a national level, Colbs said that solutions to the problem will come with some work.
“Solutions are complex,” Colbs said. “Budgets must prioritize mental health services as a necessary component to student services on campus. An emphasis on prevention is also a key component.”
Colbs discussed the possibility of alternative forms of therapy as a way counseling centers can alleviate their lack of counselors.
“Strategies include increased use of group therapy, session limits for individual therapy, referral to community based resources, and an increased emphasis on student purchase of health insurance to allow students to access community-based resources,” Colbs said.
Droz said that she is looking to make some technological changes at the Counseling Center to counter the problem of being understaffed.
“This generation is geared toward technology so I would like to make some changes to our Web site,” Droz said. “I would like to set up a blog so that students can have somewhere to go and just vent. We would monitor the blog and help students if they need further assistance.”