I was somewhat perplexed in reading Buck Roberson’s column (“OU’s mental-health services lacking”) in Monday’s edition of The Daily.
I agree mental health services on campus, and across the country, have been treated as unwanted foster children during the economic downturn of the past three years, and for many years prior.
However, a simple search of the word “counseling” on the OU home page reveals in the first return a facility Roberson fails to mention, OU’s Counseling Psychology Clinic. As a former employee in the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education, I can attest to the fine work and unparalleled dedication of the folks who run the clinic and work with counseling graduate students in a clinical setting. It is truly a gem on campus.
The clinic does employ a pay-for-services model, however, sliding-scale payments are employed, and I personally know Lisa Frey, Ph.D., and Denise Beesley, Ph.D., clinic directors, and I feel no hesitancy in saying these two dedicated professionals, along with the entire faculty in the program, would be able to plug individuals in need of services into the proper outlets for such.
It is often easy to complain about the lack of this or the lack of that. In addition to one of the finest campus-based counseling training facilities in the country that employs a clinical setting, perhaps Roberson and others should consider volunteering to man crisis lines on campus or begin a student-led initiative to assist fellow students in addressing the need to seek the mental health care some students have trouble locating.
Often times, we have to be part of the solution if we expect solutions of any kind to be presented.
— Bill Moakley,
Director of Communications
University of Oklahoma Alumni Association
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BuckRoberson 1 year, 4 months ago
1) You haven't negated any of my points. I acknowledge that there are resources on campus, but they are neither available to students at critical times, nor are they well-known enough to be of use. For student use, the facility might as well be unattached to the University for all intents and purposes. As far as I can find, it is not on campus, nor is it student-specific, nor is it advertised as being available in any way, shape, or form.
2) I do plan to participate in the Mental Health Ally Program. Also, by writing the article I sought to draw attention to the issue, thus spurring interest.
3) My article was not written to put down our mental health facilities on campus. I did do so, but my intent is to draw awareness, in hopes of having the issue addressed. I mean not to offend, but to help bring about improvement.
4) I've written for the Daily since the the beginning of the Fall 2010 semester, and I've never had more people come up to me and tell me that they liked my article and agree with me. I'm not the only dissatisfied soul on this campus.