Counseling and Psychological Services are the primary mental health providers on campus. 

Students interested in CAPS must first call the CAPS office and schedule a consult meeting with one of their clinicians. 

The meeting lasts 20-30 minutes and is used to learn what the student is looking for in treatment, and identify what their individual needs are to make a set of personalized service recommendations. 

If needed, they will use the information gained from the consult meeting to recommend students to community providers. 

Students will often be given recommendations to community providers if they are seeking long-term treatment or have a specialized situation such as a language barrier. 

Some of the services CAPS provides include skills series and workshops, that teach important skills such as how to manage stress and make better coping mechanisms. 

Workshops are typically a single session while skills series require multiple sessions, both are covered by student fees making them free to attend.

Laura Scarnecchia, clinical case manager at CAPS, empathizes with students transitioning to college. 

For students, college is a new and exciting experience but it also comes with challenges, she said. Independent living, academic pressure and adjusting to new environments are all common stressors.

“Just knowing that there is a place where they can come, they can do that consult and our experienced clinicians are here to help them make a plan so they can have support here at Kent State,” Scarnecchia said. 

Emilio Hernandez is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].