With an increase of students on campus, an increase of resources and mental health counselors needs to happen as well. If Stonehill hopes to fulfill its mission of "creating a more just and compassionate world" it absolutely must begin with its own students. Stonehill also states in its mission that "[we] believe in the inherent dignity of each person". We must see these words be put into action. In a similar vein, Stonehill also needs to make more of an effort to bring in more diverse counselors - it's no secret that students of color don't feel like they can go to counseling services (even if they could book an appointment) because there aren't counselors who can speak fully to their experiences. Stonehill needs to do better, especially if they hope to expand.

Not nearly enough counselors! In addition weekly counseling should be available. When I asked to meet weekly I was told to go off campus (I don’t have a car or sufficient funds for copay)

As a graduate of Stonehill, I can confirm that this has been a huge problem since 2014 and has only become worse. I saw a therapist on campus for one semester, and I was only able to get consistent appointments because I was a suicide risk. I tried to get counseling again for the following year, because I was better but still had a long way to go, but there were no appointments available. No one should be refused services, especially in a high-risk environment such as a college campus.

It took me two weeks to get an appointment this semester and then there were none available for a follow up visit, we need more counselors.

i’m paying a copay to see my therapist off campus because i couldn’t find a good fit with any of the counselors here despite seeing 3 different individuals. more counselors would hopefully help students match up with someone they feel comfortable sharing personal things with.

I have thought about starting counseling repeatedly— I have a lot going on in my life right now and could really use someone to listen. However, my need is less crucial than someone who suffers from depression, anxiety, etc, so I have avoided counseling because I know how long the waiting lists are and I would hate to take an appointment slot from someone else. While I would benefit from it, there are others who need it. There is no reason why I should be saying no to counseling services based on a limited amount of counselor availability. I also know that's my busy schedule combined with the limited availability in counseling services, I likely wouldn’t get an appointment for weeks. This is a problem.

Availability is scarce and keeping biweekly appointments is even a struggle with scheduling. Counseling services needs more resources & staff to support Stonehill students

My first time going to counseling services, I walked in and out of campus ministry multiple times. I had never spoken to a counselor before and was very nervous. I finally made my way in and asked for the next appointment. They told me they couldn't fit me in for a month and I was so overwhelmed with so much going on that I started crying right then and there. Thank goodness, they took this as urgent and set me up with an emergency appointment but there are not enough emergency appointments in a day or a week. It is so important for college students to have this resource and I think having more counselors is the best option. Emergency appointments can sometimes be with a different person than who you will see long term and it can be very difficult to have to retell your story to multiple people. Stonehill, please listen to the students on this one. Their mental health is most important.