Counseling cutbacks

Less money means less service for students

December 6, 2006

Angela Wiebe

Following a $25,000 cut to its program this year, Trinity Western University Counseling Services is facing the possibility of raising student session fees.

The student fee, at $20 an hour, is already one of the most expensive university counseling fees in North America, according to Counseling Services’ Kurt Lundberg.

“We charge the highest fee amongst like institutions,” said Lundberg, referring to TWU’s position in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. Public schools, such as the University of British Columbia, don’t charge any fees for their students.

“It really becomes a philosophical or ethical question,” Lundberg said. “We have to re-prioritize [university funds]… or students will pick up the cost.”

Counseling Services initially charged $5; this fee rose in increments of $5 until it reached the present $20 rate.

Lundberg noted, however, that each time the rate was increased in the past, additional services were added. This year, services have been taken away.

So far, about eight hours have been cut from contracted counseling hours. As well, the department has had to overhaul its intake process for the sake of efficiency, assigning students to specific counselors and then referring them off campus if they need more treatment.

“We have to be a little more creative in terms of addressing students,” Lundberg said.

This change has concerned the department, however, as less resources means less time for students. While every student requesting services – about 110-130 per week – will receive treatment, the number of possible sessions per student has decreased this year.

“It’s required us to be a little more focused,” Lundberg said. “We have to be very clear on treatment goals. The process starts with, ‘This is what we’re agreeing to treat or deal with.’”

While in some aspects this is good, as counselors are able to catch students immediately at their crisis point. The downside is that the counseling centre has less ability to offer student development counseling for students who have not yet reached a crisis point, but still need someone to talk to.

“You can’t really do mission work,” he noted, referring to this year’s cutbacks.

While Lundberg feels that Counseling Services is doing the best it can, taking on a third Counseling Psychology graduate intern to help with the workload, he also hopes the university will allot more funds to the department in the future.

“This is an essential service,” Lundberg said, adding that it’s still too early to tell how the cutbacks will affect services to students in the long run.

In the meantime, Lundberg said that the department would avoid raising student fees unless the university promises to pitch in extra funds as well.

“We’re in this together,” he said.

2nd year Ashley Sidun, a Psychology student and a volunteer with Abuse Awareness for Students, said the high cost of counseling at TWU is unfair to students.

“I think it’s kind of crazy,” she said. “Twenty dollars is quite a bit of money when you’re student and to have to pay that each time you go… it’s kind of unfair.”

Hosting their first depression and suicide seminar on campus on Nov. 22, Sidun said Abuse Awareness for Students volunteers plan to continue reaching out to the student body next semester and hope to raise funds for the Wellness Centre through a flower sale.

“Sometimes you just need someone to bounce things off of,” she said of having counselors available on campus.

There’s still a possibility that Counseling Services might receive more funding next year through reallocation of funds within Student Life. However, Executive Assistant to the President, Glen Forrester, said that there would be no funding increases to any separate divisions on campus, as the university will remain in “restraint mode for 2007/08.”

Counseling Services will also continue to serve community residents during the summer months to help raise funds for the regular school year.