Michelle Castano
Edito-in-Chief
In regard to mental health, Michelle Obama once said that “at the root of this dilemma is the way we view mental health in this country. Whether an illness affects your heart, your leg or your brain, it’s still an illness, and there should be no distinction.”
It’s okay not to be okay, but let’s talk about it. How are you able to maximize your best self? Broward College has been in partnership with Henderson Behavioral Health since the fall of 2010. Broward College calls its partnership the Student Assistance Program.
Dovetailing with the aforementioned Michelle Obama statement, BC Sociology professor, Dr. Robert Gallagher feels as though people tend to focus more on physical health rather than mental health. “Insurances usually cover more for physical issues than mental health issues. Some in society feel that mental health can be cured by themselves and don’t realize the need to talk to someone,” he said.
In an email to students, BC stated that it provides six psychological and psychiatric counseling services to its students at no charge. Additionally, these services can help with a myriad of topics dealing with anxiety, interpersonal relationships and even personal growth to name a few.
According Gallagher, these services are important to students because students suffer a lot of stress and anxiety while in College. “In addition, many college students have less financial means and there is a strong correlation between economics and mental health issues,” he said.
Debra Futterman, Director of Henderson Student Counseling Services at Henderson Behavioral Health mentioned that Broward College has been extremely responsive to the student’s needs. “When we first started our contract, we only had one counselor and very quickly, we saw that we needed more,” said Futterman. Within one semester, BC changed their contract to accommodate two counselors for their students. “It shows a lot about the way that Broward College sees the need to support students with their mental health,” she said.
The student counseling services are voluntary services. “It is a very personal decision for someone to engage in therapy for all kinds of reasons,” said Futterman.
In terms of the goal that Henderson Student Counseling Services has for their incoming clients/students, it’s that they essentially want students to perform their best in every possible scenario. “Our goal is to help you get through your program successfully and go on to the next step of your life,” said Futterman.
In addition to counseling services, Henderson Behavioral Health also visits Broward College campuses for workshops and lectures. There will be a workshop at South Campus on 9/17 (building 68, room 191) from 12:30 p.m. — 1:30 p.m. Central Campus will host its Henderson workshop on 9/19 (building 19, room 106) from 12:30 p.m. —1:30 p.m. The North Campus workshop will take place on 9/26 at the Breezeway (building 46) from 12:30 p.m— 1:30 p.m.
For more information on counseling services, one can call 954-424-6916 or email studentcounselingservices@hendersonbehavioralhealth.org. Support is available by phone 24 hours/7 days per week.
Email: castm46@mail.broward.edu
Photo courtesy of hendersonbh.org