With the holidays fast approaching and the semester coming to a close, students might begin feeling bouts of stress, anxiety, sadness or depression, but those seeking on-campus counseling support may have to wait a while.
The Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) center, which offers students an outlet to talk confidentially about their struggles, is understaffed according to standards set by the International Association of Counseling Services (IACS).
According to the IACS, campus-counseling centers should have one professional counselor for every 1,000 to 1,500 students. Cal State Long Beach, which has more than 35,000 students, has only nine counselors.
CAPS Director Brad Compliment said being called understaffed is a “fair representation.”
“We may not be able to help as many students as we’d like,” Compliment said. “We have been [understaffed] for many years.”
Compliment said that CAPS recently hired two permanent counselors and is doing everything it can to help students, although “there would be more people that could benefit” from a fully staffed office.
Appointments with CAPS, however, may be taking too long to schedule because the office is understaffed.
“One counselor spends half a day on call from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” he said. “Last week, the number of people who used the ‘on call’ service totaled 46. [We] have to adapt to situations. This is what we have currently, but we hope things get better.”
He said there are also three interns, two administrative assistants and one case manager working in the office.
Despite its shortage of staff, Compliment said CAPS will continue to make due with the resources that it has.
Students can make appointments in person at Brotman Hall, Room 226 or by phone at (562) 985-4001, according to its website.
For more information about CAPS and the services available to students, visit www.csulb.edu/divisions/students/caps/.
