Carthage goes the extra mile to support students’ mental health
With so many things competing for your time and attention, being a young adult has its challenges. At Carthage, we know how important it is for students to maintain their mental health.
We’re ready and willing to help when you need it — and to provide you with the support network to nip problems in the bud.
Mental health services
Asking for help is perfectly normal. Surveys show that a large percentage of students nationwide enter college with anxiety, depression, or another mental health diagnosis.
Determined to break the stigma those illnesses once carried, Carthage offers students multiple options for free, short-term personal counseling. Sessions can address all kinds of challenges: emotional, academic, relationship, substance use, or whatever is holding you back.
“Our primary goal is to get you to the point where you don’t need us anymore,” says Kelly Smith, assistant dean for student success and wellness.
Learn more about counseling services
IN PERSON: Three licensed counselors (including two who work full time) are available to meet with students individually on campus, either by appointment or during walk-in hours. Carthage established a new, centrally located Health and Counseling Center at the Todd Wehr Center in 2022.
TELETHERAPY: A partnership with Uwill connects students with licensed therapists who can offer counseling 365 days a year via video, chat, text, or phone. The service can put the student in touch with a chosen provider within 24 hours.
Connecting with supportive peers can give you a lift, too. At Carthage, student-run organizations like Let’s Just Talk and the Mental Health Awareness club delve into these topics.
Attuned to the signs
By knowing what to watch for, we can even point out life’s roadblocks early enough for you to safely steer around them.
FIRST AID: Between faculty, staff, and students, almost 200 members of the campus community have completed Mental Health First Aid workshops. The trainees learn to spot signs that a student might be struggling and, much like they would for a physical injury, to provide initial aid until that person can receive professional care.
OUTREACH SYSTEM: Our confidential alert system makes it easy for anyone on campus to identify a student who could use some extra support. The Center for Student Success then assembles a small team of employees who can best address that student’s specific need. Mental health is one of the most commonly submitted types of alert.
SELF-HELP: Of course, nobody can gauge how you’re feeling better than you. That’s why our College Success Seminar — the introduction-to-Carthage course — now includes a primer in mental health literacy. First-year students learn to pinpoint the stressors in their lives and to recognize when it’s time to seek help.
With small classes, 130-plus clubs and organizations to join, and staff who focus entirely on your academic, social, and career growth, it’s almost impossible to get lost at Carthage. That’s something unique about Firebirds — we look out for one another.