WHEREAS, Students face significant challenges in accessing mental health services [1], with wait times often exceeding over two months, and students report limited satisfaction due to the availability and responsiveness of current services;
WHEREAS, California community colleges serve a diverse student body, with 92% of them qualifying as Hispanic-Serving Institutions[2] and 21% as Black-Serving Institutions[3], and ensuring access to culturally competent mental health services requires a diverse staff, including professionals from underrepresented groups, to understand and address student needs and provide both male and female options for student comfort;
WHEREAS, Timely access to mental health services, including significantly reduced wait times and the availability of online therapy options, is essential to student success and well-being; and
WHEREAS, There is a need to ensure that California community colleges affirm the importance of mental health services and adopt strategies that promote equitable and affordable and/or low-cost access to care;
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges encourage t districts, the Chancellor’s Office, and Board of Governors collaborate with mental health providers and/or organizations to ensure reduced wait times for counseling services, with a target of no more than two weeks, and to implement online therapy options in the instance that in-person wait times are longer than the encouraged two weeks;
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges support efforts to affirm and strengthen mental health services by adopting strategies to prioritize the recruitment and retention of a diverse mental health staff to ensure that all students have access to culturally sensitive and inclusive mental health support, and by distributing resources that enhance the capacity of campus counseling centers to meet student demand; and
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate of California Community Colleges actively urge the pursuit of enacting legislation and/or policies for all California Community Colleges to establish a Psychological Services Action Plan (PSAP) which identifies the college’s finances allocated to Psychological Services, goals for increasing staff diversity, targeted wait times, strategy to achieve the stated objectives, and a designated timeline or target date for implementation by collaborating with and forwarding a copy of each college’s completed PSAP and this resolution to the appropriate officials: Governor Gavin Newsom, all members of the California State Legislature, California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian, all members of the California Community Colleges Board of Governors, the Chancellors of all 72 community college districts, and the President of the Board of Trustees for all 72 community college districts.
Citations:
[1] American Psychiatric Association New Study: Community College Students Often Face Mental Health Challenges
[2] Building Capacity For Equity And Servingness Across California's Hispanic-Serving Community Colleges
[3] Calmatters Article “Black California students want more support. A new law names colleges that serve them best”