Since 1997, CMHC has been located in the Student Services Building that also houses, among others, University Health Services, the Dean of Students Office, Legal Services for Students, Office of the Ombudsman, and Student Financial Services. We occupy the entire top floor of this six-story structure with an area in excess of 17,000 square feet.

Our space was designed specifically for the Center and includes 40 counselor offices, seven group therapy rooms (one with one-way observation mirrors and one with video recording capabilities), and two conference rooms. Each intern is assigned his/her own office equipped with a video camera, a television monitor and playback unit, and audio recording equipment.

Philosophy of Change. The Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC) bases its services on the belief that change is an enduring element of the human condition; that perceptions, capabilities, beliefs, emotions, and actions can be intentionally modified with appropriate challenge and support. Further, we believe that such change employs not only self-direction, but also the assistance of supportive relationships. As college students encounter their developmental tasks and issues, they require mental and emotional knowledge and skills if they are to achieve their potential for enhancing their own personal and social development.

Multidisciplinary Focus. As a multidisciplinary mental health agency, our mission is to provide a diverse student body with high quality services that promote their ability to develop academic competence, emotional stability, healthy relationships, life-long learning styles, and effective decision-making skills. Since students enter college with varying capabilities and sociocultural backgrounds, we plan our interventions to meet the unique needs of individuals, while also attending to the concerns of special populations. Taking a community mental health and life-span developmental perspective, we strive to provide primary, secondary and tertiary prevention/intervention services for the well-being of the student body.

In recognition of the rich diversity of our students, we adopted a Statement on Diversity that further explicates our philosophy and stance about meeting the challenges of a multicultural society.

CMHC's Services. CMHC seeks to provide comprehensive mental health services to U.T. students through direct services such as individual, group, and relationship counseling/therapy; urgent care; psychiatric services; structured and process-oriented group programs; and a 24-hour telephone counseling service. In addition, preventive and developmental services are provided through campus programming and a variety of workshops presented to students. CMHC also actively participates in the training and supervision of a multidisciplinary group of trainees.

CMHC's Services to the Profession. CMHC conducts research activities in the mental health field as part of a commitment to the practitioner/scholar model and to increase the knowledge base for mental health services for the college population. These activities include participation in the Research Consortium of Counseling and Psychological Services in Higher Education, of which CMHC was a founder, as well as more specialized projects that represent the diverse interests and energies of our staff and interns. CMHC also manages the national "Clearinghouse for Structured/Thematic Groups & Innovative Programs," which provides copies of guidelines and manuals either free or at low cost to assist professionals in conducting groups and workshops.  

CMHC Professional Staff. The CMHC clinical staff currently consists of 11 psychologists, 8 social workers, 3 psychiatrists, 8 contract staff, 12 telephone counselors, 4 psychology interns, 4 social work interns, 2 psychiatric residents, and 10 practicum students.

In addition, we have two staff members who work on our "Voices Against Violence" project, a systems analyst, and twelve support staff.

Clearly, tremendous opportunities exist to learn from a staff representing a variety of disciplines, perspectives, theoretical orientations, and backgrounds.

Telephone Counseling. CMHC's Telephone Counseling provides counseling and crisis intervention to UT students. In operation 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the service has offered confidential counseling services to more than a quarter of a million people since its inception in 1967. Telephone Counseling is one of a very few such services housed on a university campus, and is unique in that it provides both crisis and non-crisis counseling as well as being staffed entirely by professional (rather than para-professional) counselors.

Voices Against Violence. CMHC's "Voices Against Violence" program, funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, provides counseling, advocacy, education, and referral services for students who have experienced relationship violence, stalking, or sexual violence. The program also provides extensive educational programming to the campus community through workshops, a web site, and an innovative "peer theater" course.

Integrated Health Program. In 2002, CMHC established an "Integrated Health" program in conjunction with University Health Services (UHS). CMHC currently has two social workers, one psychologist, and one contract staff member who consult with physicians and work primarily with students who seek services from UHS. It offers two classes, Optimizing Your Potential and a Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Class for Depression Management. The Mind/Body Lab at CMHC, part of the Integrated Health program, is a self-paced and self-guided audio lab that helps students learn relaxation and biofeedback techniques.