Counseling Center Expands Services to Meet Evolving Student Needs
By Richard Burnett
Amid academic pressures, social media, personal relationships and the challenges of college life, the demand for mental health support remains strong at colleges and universities across America. In recent years, Beacon College’s Counseling Center has responded by expanding services, broadening access and increasing its support for students.
To support students, the center has expanded available resources, including additional individual and group counseling sessions, increased collaboration with faculty and extended operating hours from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Students also have access through the Beacon Wellness Line, an around-the-clock connection for students to mental health professionals.
But the engine driving that expansion has been the center’s staffing growth. Since 2022, the Counseling Center team has doubled to five counselors, including a full-time director.
While the team remains relatively small, the expanded staff gives Beacon a counselor-to-student ratio of 1-to-100, placing the college among the nation’s best-resourced small institutions according to data from the International Association of Counseling Services. By comparison, counselor-to-student ratios at many small colleges range from 1-to-300 to 1-to-500.
“Expanding our staff has enabled the center to reduce wait times, increase appointment availability for individual sessions and broaden our group counseling offerings,” said Sommer Mooneyhan, the center’s director. “It has also strengthened our partnerships with other campus departments, which extends the reach of mental health support beyond the walls of the Counseling Center.”
In the following Q&A, Mooneyhan discusses the Counseling Center’s growth, evolving services and commitment to student well-being.
Q: Beacon’s counselor-to-students ratio exceeds many other colleges and universities. How has the college sustained its favorable ratio amid tough budgetary times?
Mooneyhan: College student mental health continues to be a growing concern and can present a significant barrier to students’ ability to successfully complete their degree programs. Recognizing this reality, the college remains steadfast in its commitment to prioritizing mental health services and ensuring that staffing levels are aligned with the needs of our student population.
Q: What are the most common mental health concerns you see among Beacon students, and how is the Counseling Center responding to those needs?
Mooneyhan: The Counseling and Wellness Center supports students with a variety of mental health concerns throughout the academic year. Among the most commonly addressed challenges are interpersonal conflicts, stress management, and anxiety. As student needs have become more varied and complex, the center has had to remain flexible in how services are delivered. This includes balancing individual counseling needs with prevention, outreach, crisis response, and campus-wide education.
Q: What approaches have been most effective in supporting the students?
Mooneyhan: Removing barriers to accessing mental health care has proven to be one of the most effective approaches to support the wellness needs of our students. To encourage students to seek help, we do not place a limit on the number of counseling sessions a student may receive. Also, our nontraditional operating hours provide students with greater flexibility to access services at times that align with their schedules. They also can request same-day walk-in appointments, allowing them to receive immediate support when facing acute distress or a mental health crisis.
Q: Talk about Beacon’s holistic approach to addressing students’ mental health — i.e. leveraging and involving staff and faculty-wide participation.
Mooneyhan: We recognize that early intervention is the key to student success. Often, our faculty and staff members serve as a first line of support in recognizing when a student might be struggling with their mental health. To support these efforts, we facilitate informational sessions to ensure staff and faculty remain well informed about counseling services available to students. Our wellness referral program allows facility and staff to efficiently communicate their concerns and observations, so prompt follow-up can occur. In many cases, these efforts have prevented emerging mental health concerns from developing into more significant challenges for our students.
Q: What are some of the most memorable experiences you’ve had while supporting students through mental health challenges?
Mooneyhan: I think the very best thing you experience in this job is after students graduate with their degree, get a job in their field or pursue a graduate degree, then come back to campus to visit. It’s very rewarding to see them when they stop in the center with an update on how they’re doing and where they landed. As a counselor, you don’t always get to know the end of the story like that. But when you do, it’s such an honor and privilege to share those moments with them. It’s very special.
