Mental Health Care Services Expanded for Students

University Housing

Mental health clinician Megan Little provides an outreach table about mental health to students at a relationship fair held in February in the Arkansas Union.

University Housing and the Pat Walker Health Center's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) recently collaborated on a new position that increases access to crucial mental health services for students living in the residence halls.

This new position, which strengthens the counselor-in-residence program by having a full-time, licensed mental health clinician within Housing, expands key services that are designed to help students navigate the pressures of college life and achieve academic and personal success.

Services include:

• Individual counseling
• Group counseling
• Emergency mental health services
• Triage
• Supervision of the counselors in residence and the counseling interns.

Megan Little, who started in this role on July 17, has her doctorate in counselor education and supervision. She is licensed in the state of Arkansas.

Her past work experiences include working with children in a school setting, as well as working with children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly in an acute inpatient setting. For the last two years, she has worked with students at the University of Arkansas.

"I am looking forward to this new endeavor as the first full-time counselor residing in another department on campus. Especially getting to work with students where they are and where they feel comfortable," Little said. "This will be an opportunity to bring the discussion of mental health to the halls and hopefully reduce the stigma about mental health even further on campus."

Little also brings a unique twist to her experience as well, having provided counseling in Belize during a study abroad opportunity.

"My experiences taught me how valuable counseling and the counseling relationship can be when going through hardships or changes or just wanting personal growth," Little said.

Information for this article was contributed by Zac Brown, assistant director of communications for the Pat Walker Health Center.