RCC students are facing new and significant obstacles that can often lead to mental health crises. Without appropriate interventions, the impact of untreated mental health issues on academic success, career aspirations and overall well-being can be devastating. RCC’s Counseling Department can help these students recover from their mental health crisis, persist in their academic pursuits at the college and go on to lead more fulfilling lives.
Tom Pike’s Testimony to the House Committee on Higher Ed:
Chair Lively, members of the committee, for the record, I’m Tom Pike. I have been a mental health counselor and faculty member at Rogue Community College for the past 15 years. Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony on the growing demand for mental health services among community college students.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for mental health services has skyrocketed unlike any other period I have witnessed at the college. To make matters worse, in September of 2021 a wildfire swept through our valley burning 2,000 homes, many of which were the most affordable housing options in our area. Lots of our students lost their homes that day and some still don’t have stable housing. Our students are facing extreme levels of stress as a result of the pandemic and losing security of their basic needs.
Community college students, in particular, are often from marginalized communities and face unique barriers to accessing mental health care. They may lack health insurance or financial resources, and many have responsibilities such as work or family that make it difficult to prioritize their mental health needs. If they do call to make an appointment with a community-based therapist in our area, they are often told that it is a four-month wait to establish care. This can be devastating news for a person experiencing a mental health crisis. Our Counseling Department does whatever it can to provide services to these students until their first appointment with a community-based therapist. Theoretically, if we had enough counselors, this could be a good enough working model for mental health support for our students. However, since the pandemic, we have lost a number of counseling positions due to budget cuts while at the same time we are experiencing a tsunami of need.
Without appropriate interventions, the impact of mental health issues on academic success, career aspirations and overall well-being can be devastating. Untreated mental health issues can lead to poor academic performance, social isolation, dropping out of college and, in extreme cases, suicide. Just yesterday afternoon I worked with three students in crisis that were contemplating suicide. This morning, while trying to prepare this testimony, I am working with two more students in crisis. Often times, what catalyzes suicidal thoughts are overwhelming stressors on our students that they aren’t sure how to address. Typically, in our first meeting, I can help to alleviate a couple of their main stressors by collaborating with their instructors to get some extra time on assignments, helping them file Student Records appeals to keep their financial aid in good standing, or working with them to develop an academic and career plan that is more realistic and increases their hope for their futures. Once these immediate stressors have been addressed, I can then get down to the longer-term work of assisting them to improve their mental health.
I can say, with confidence, that when these students access the mental health services that we offer that the majority of them will make it through their current stressful episode and continue on to complete their academic goals in college. Without mental health support, most of them will drop out of school and some will potentially harm themselves.
In conclusion, the growing demand for mental health services among community college students is a critical issue that requires immediate attention. This can include increasing funding for mental health programs or expanding access to mental health care for students.
Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter.