The pandemic has been a rough patch during the fall semester and has taken a toll on some students’ mental health. While there is the Counseling Center to help on campus, there is also a counselor available to students in the residence halls. 

“Darrioun Webb is a PsyD student here on campus and lives in the residence halls as a part of his job,” Candace Layne, director of the Counseling Center, said. 

 Webb said he is available as a resource after hours for brief intervention.  

“My focus is on what you would describe as acute distress. I’m not typically seen as a therapist in the traditional sense in this role. I’m acting as someone who’s doing what we would refer to more accurately as mental health consultation,” Webb said. 

Webb said when he is working with students and student staff, he’s typically following the Seirt model. 

“That’s screening, brief intervention and a referral to treatment. I meet with people really briefly and find out what their present concerns are through my screening methods,” Webb said. 

Webb said the major benefit of having a counselor in the residence halls is accessibility.   

“The reason the office is located in the residence halls is that students who live on campus and are very familiar with the residents halls can easily locate the office,” Webb said. 

Webb said even though he is working through COVID-19 right now, Telehealth has made it to where it’s still an incredibly accessible option.  

“That’s the point. To have someone who lives and works in the same space as the students who are living on campus. So that I’m more visible and raising awareness of students on top of being highly accessible,” Webb said. 

Jonathan Still can be contacted at [email protected].