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Established in 1950, the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD) is an international organization comprising universities and colleges (https://www.aucccd.org). AUCCCD members are the higher education leaders for student mental health. Our members represent a wide range of professional disciplines, public and private institutions, and a range of institutional student enrollment sizes. This white paper: (a) provides a historical background on counseling and mental health services on college campuses; (b) argues that, based on current research, there is no single organizational structure that is optimal; (c) makes recommendations about factors to consider when making decisions about the counseling center that are based on specific campus needs and resources rather than a preferred organizational structure; and (d) advocates for a collaborative care model regardless of organizational structure.

The authors sought to identify college students at risk for experiencing a mental health crisis that warranted a psychiatric evaluation at a hospital and/or a psychiatric hospitalization. A retrospective chart review of college students evaluated at a comprehensive psychiatric emergency program during a 1-year period was conducted. Demographic variables, mental health treatment history, diagnosis, and hospital discharge plans were found to predict those students likely to be hospitalized and those likely to have positive discharge outcomes. (Contains 3 tables.)

This study assesses short-term and long-term learning outcomes of Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) suicide prevention training in a college setting. Two hundred seventy-three participants completed pretest, posttest, and follow-up surveys regarding suicide prevention knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Results indicated: (a) increases in suicide prevention knowledge, attitudes, and skills both from the pretest to the posttest and from the pretest to the follow-up test on 8 items (warning signs, how to ask about suicide, influencing help-seeking, how to get help, knowledge of local resources, talking about resources, accompanying person to get help, and calling a crisis line); and (b) short-term increases on 2 items (suicide prevention facts and appropriateness of asking about suicide). Implications for campus-wide suicide prevention efforts are discussed. (Contains 1 table.)

This article describes efforts to increase faculty involvement in suicide prevention and mental health promotion via curriculum infusion. The participants were faculty, staff, and 659 students enrolled in classes of a large eastern university from Fall 2007-Spring 2011. Counselors, health educators, and medical providers recruited faculty from a variety of disciplines to develop mental health promotion programs in their courses. This article describes seven such collaborations, illustrating how faculty was able to encourage students to see connections between their academic content and real world college experience, and the implications for mental health. As a result of these collaborations, faculty had a deeper understanding of mental health issues and resources on campus and an appreciation for the opportunity to collaborate in novel ways. After curriculum infusion was introduced to the campus faculty referrals to counseling did not noticeably increase, but there was increased faculty engagement in mental health programs and promotion. (Contains 4 figures.)

Counseling center utilization patterns during a 2-year period for 218 international and 222 U.S. college students were examined. Significant between-group differences were found with regard to age, academic status, referral source, relationship status, self-reported concerns, counselor diagnosis, disposition, hospitalization rates, prior counseling experience, and use of crisis appointments. Significant within-group differences among international students were also found. Implications for improving programs and clinical services are discussed. (Contains 2 tables.)

Examined relationship between type of campus activity students engaged in and their racial identity attitudes. Findings from 101 African-American college students revealed that their racial identity attitudes contributed to the prediction of participation in cultural and noncultural campus organizations. The higher one's pro-white, anti-African-American attitudes, the less likely one was to participate in cultural campus activities. (Author/NB)

An interdisciplinary treatment team approach is considered the standard of care for individuals with eating disorders; however, there is limited research on the efficacy of such teams. This study used retrospective chart review to compare client characteristics and treatment utilization for college students treated with psychotherapy alone versus an interdisciplinary treatment team approach (i.e., a mental health counselor, a physician, and a dietitian). Clients with prior counseling histories, a bulimia nervosa diagnosis, or a personality disorder diagnosis were more likely to be referred to the eating disorders treatment team. Female counselors were more likely than male counselors to refer clients to the team. Overall, findings suggest that the team approach is associated with students staying in therapy longer and terminating therapy in a planned fashion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]