Earlier this week, the White House issued a proclamation that November 17 through November 23, 2024, is recognized as American Education Week. This proclamation stated a desire to show gratitude for educators and staff, and it includes K-12 schools as well as colleges and universities. It’s often said that working in college mental health is a thankless job. A seminal report in 2019 by The Chronicle of Higher Education outlined the emotional toll that being a mental health counselor for a college can have. In addition to the difficulties for individual therapists, there are challenges for the field of college mental health. Specifically, the field is still recovering from the global pandemic, can be negatively impacted by divisive political conflicts, and continues to serve a high-risk population. Understanding these challenges highlights the sentiment made by the White House proclamation.
Recovering From The Pandemic
The White House Proclamation emphasized the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and described this as the country’s largest investment in mental health and substance use programs for schools. As described by a 2021 report by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the ARP was passed in March of 2021 and was not specifically designed for schools, but rather as a general response and recovery bill from the impacts of COVID-19.
Since the pandemic, college mental health has experienced a wave of resignations, similar to that found in many industries. A 2022 report by Inside Higher Education discussed how many student affairs professionals left higher education for less stressful and better paying jobs. This was especially true for therapists as there was a boom in the overall demand for counseling services during the pandemic. In addition, the rise of telehealth made it easier for therapists to launch a private practice without major overhead costs. Thus, many counselors in higher education had the option to launch a private practice from home, reduce their caseload, and make more money. The impact of this is still being felt by the field of college mental health. For example, I’m a board member of the Association for University and College Counseling Directors (AUCCCD), and in the 2023 survey, 58.2% of counseling directors were either in their first year of being a director or had one to five years of experience as being a director.
Divisive Political Conflicts
A 2024 report by USA Today illustrated that many Americans feel alarmed or hopeless about the increasing polarization and divide among politicians. Unfortunately, divisive political conflicts have negatively impacted the field of college mental health. In 2024, Inside Higher Education outlined the political battle regarding new proposed Title IX Regulations. This conflict is confusing for college mental health professionals because members of the federal government literally cannot agree on a definition for what constitutes sexual discrimination. The lack of a clear definition affects trainings on campus (incoming students are required to complete Title IX prevention trainings), campus outreaches, and even understating which supportive measures are mandated to be utilized by counseling centers.
Political conflicts are also evident in state politics. In 2024, the AUCCCD released a press release arguing the that language in many states’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) bans are confusing. Some states appear to agree as Alabama passed a DEI ban in October 2024, and clarified how the ban does not affect medical or mental health services. It’s possible that other states will follow Alabama, but counseling center directors are usually not involved in political conflicts because, as outlined in a previous 2024 report on Forbes.com, mental health is not a partisan issue.
High-Risk Population
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, November 23, 2024, is International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day. In 2023, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that suicide is the second-leading cause of death for teens and young adults. The 2023 annual report by the Center of Collegiate Mental Health also highlights mental health concerns among college students. Most college students do not have a significant clinical diagnosis, but therapists in college mental health will see students in serious distress. In addition, unlike private practice, most therapists in college mental health cannot limit their practice to a special area of interest. Furthermore, most campus counseling centers are tasked with the challenge of meeting the demands from a large community of students with a much smaller group of therapists.
Therapists who work in college mental health don’t always receive thanks. Many of my colleagues would agree that changing the trajectory of a student’s life is worth more money, anchors a sense of purpose when political challenges emerge, and gives meaning when faced with burnout. More than a week is needed to express gratitude to all educators and staff, but the White House proclamation is a reminder of the impact that those who work in education have on the country.