Early in the presentation, Farias asked audience members to raise their hands if they were members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and she observed that few people raised their CSWE Minority Fellowship Program news hands. LGBTQIA+ people are more likely to experience a chronic mental health condition, noted Varra. “More people get care, more people stay in care, the clinical impact of that care is higher, and the investment that you’re making in those benefits—and those are huge investments—are more effective.” We want to involve them, as well as doctors, nurses, other healthcare professionals and managers in our work. Good practice also includes meaningful service user involvement in various aspects of mental health service planning since the direction taken in any new or continuing project will have an impact on the users of the services, and service users know how the system is working rather than how it is thought to be working.
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This study highlights the importance of inclusive counseling services for international students in higher education and provides valuable insights for developing and improving such services. The research identifies accessibility, cultural sensitivity, stakeholder collaboration, and varied service types as key delivery components for effective mental health services for international students. Moreover, the study mentions the inclusion of counseling staff and faculty members, but it would be advantageous to delve into their understanding of multicultural self-awareness and the specific challenges they encounter in providing counseling to international students. It highlights several strengths, such as the emphasis on multicultural self-awareness among mental health professionals and the significance of faculty involvement in supporting international students. Finally, faculty members should be encouraged to be more involved in mental health services for international students, especially in promoting awareness and support. Faculty involvement in mental health support is a crucial aspect of providing quality services to international students on college campuses.
- Hear inspiring personal stories from community members.
- The vast majority of people who experience mental ill-health present no greater safety risk than anyone else in the population.
- Toward making progress and determining exactly how this can happen, Dr. Olu Ajilore of the University of Illinois Chicago organized a panel on empowering mental health through inclusive technology at the Society of Biological Psychiatry annual meeting held in San Diego.
- There are barriers that can make mental health inclusion feel like trying to climb a mountain in flip-flops.
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The final insight from the study underscores the imperative of enhancing mental health support to guarantee confidentiality for all students, irrespective of their background (Koo and Nyunt, Reference Koo and Nyunt2020). According to a faculty, “Having faculty involvement in the training and supervision is crucial for developing multicultural competence in future mental health staff.” However, some participants pointed out that faculty involvement is limited, affecting mental health services’ overall effectiveness. First, accessible mental health services are crucial to ensuring that students receive the necessary support when they need it (Osborn et al., Reference Osborn, Li, Saunders and Fonagy2022). Conversely, poor delivery of these services can negatively affect international students on campus, hindering their mental health and well-being (Shen et al., Reference Shen, Ting and Shen2017). For international students, this means that their experiences in higher education are shaped not only by their academic and personal experiences but also by the social, political, historical and environmental factors that have influenced their lives (Ozturgut and Murphy, Reference Ozturgut and Murphy2009). Ensuring that mental health services are affordable, culturally sensitive, and geographically accessible can help more people get the support they need.
All comments identifiable from their context as students’ quotes are in first person singular; this does allow the voices of individual students to be heard, but there is no attempt to recognize similarities or difference between perspectives of international students and those of local students. Students from different cultural backgrounds may have different expectations of mental health services and may not understand the structure and purpose of sessions in each context (Wen et al., Reference Wen, Wang and Cui2022). As Hannon and Vereen (Reference Hannon and Vereen2016) note, cultural competence is essential to mental health support. Providing a variety of services is another crucial delivery component of mental health service for students (Constantine and Ladany, Reference Constantine and Ladany2000). International students may have diverse cultural backgrounds, beliefs and values and may face challenges related to their cultural identity (Keum et al., Reference Keum, Bartholomew, Robbins, Pérez-Rojas, Lockard, Kivlighan, Kang, Joy and Maldonado Aguiñiga2022). Collaboration ensures that students receive comprehensive and coordinated support services, which can promote academic success and overall well-being (Pedersen and Ivey, Reference Pedersen and Ivey1993).
Sensitive therapists use culturally adapted interventions to ensure that therapy is relevant and respectful of each individual’s identity. Training in cultural sensitivity is crucial for therapists to avoid imposing their own cultural biases and assumptions on clients. Therapists must not only be knowledgeable about different cultural backgrounds and traditions but also sensitive to how these factors influence the therapy process. Inclusive therapy practices demand a high level of cultural competency from practitioners.
A Safe Space for Every Voice: Learning to Support Youth through Inclusion and Mental Health
The article will conclude with strategies to address the obstacles of obtaining mental health services. Participants were selected using a hybrid sampling strategy of purposive and snowball methods, resulting in a diverse group of 32 stakeholders from student and staff backgrounds. The disparity in how AAs perceived their role and fulfil actual responsibilities can lead to inconsistent and inequitable students’ support. The college years are supposed to be one of the best experiences that students will remember as they transition further into adulthood.
The number of the questions for each participant group varied based on the content and purpose of the interview (e.g., ‘management of the services’, ‘faculty involvement in services’). The development process involved a robust and iterative approach to ensure rigor and relevance. The determination of cultural sensitivity involved direct engagement with individuals from distinct cultural backgrounds, who provided feedback on the clarity, relevance and appropriateness of our questions. The questions were developed after reviewing related literature (Ching et al., 2017; Lipson et al., 2019; Keum et al., 2022) and considering the study objectives. The services are managed by distinct units, including psychological services and the counseling center. The university’s commitment to inclusion, equity and diversity is enshrined in its policy framework.