Marymount University’s Student Counseling Services (SCS) won the Gold Award for health programs at the Maryland conference “SHARING OUR VOICE: What Students Think About School Mental Health.” Sponsored by the Adolescent Peer Support League, the conference brought together local high school and college students, staff, faculty, and administration for a discussion of student mental health; what’s working and what needs to be improved.
The Adolescent Peer Support League describes the Gold Award as “given to [colleges and universities] that have invested resources to expand their current student mental health programs, and that are actively engaging students in student crisis prevention training and education.” MU SCS was recognized for its innovative outreach programming, expanding staff and services, and commitment to social justice.
SCS was up for the award against other local colleges and universities. The initial vetting was done by staff, but a team of high school students chose the winners.
“The mission of MU’s SCS is to promote the growth, development, health and well-being of all Marymount students by providing accessible, empowering, and comprehensive mental health services with an emphasis on social justice and serving populations of need,” said Dr. Laura Finkelstein, Director, Student Counseling Services.
The MU SCS was fully staffed as of October 22 and the center does not have a wait list as many counseling centers do.
“We have been able to strike a nice balance between comprehensive, supportive clinical services and preventative outreach and educational programming,” said Finkelstein. “A unique feature of our outreach is that it’s tailored toward students with marginalized identities who may not otherwise access our services. This aligns with the mission of both SCS and Marymount to promote social change and support those in need. Finally, we get really creative and innovative in the way we tackle mental health issues on campus. Our recent Hispanic Heritage Event coupled food trucks and self-care activities, which students loved. We like to have fun while we are doing the work and connecting with our students. I think all of these features were recognized by the Adolescent Support League, and that feels great!”
