Improving mental health services

Increasing access

A top priority of raising funds for mental health services was to deliver 24/7 teletherapy services for all K-State students.

By partnering with the University of Kansas, K-State competitively bid for this service and contracted a rate that saves $75,000 a year. The three-year contract brings free teletherapy to students at all four K-State campuses: Manhattan, Salina, Olathe and online.

The My Student Support Program (My SSP) uses phone, video and chat technology to connect with students. Here’s why it’s a big step forward: 

• No appointments needed. Real-time support is available 24/7 via phone and chat.
• Connect anytime, from anywhere. Access My SSP resources and services 24/7 via phone, app and web.
• Multilingual support. Counselors available 24/7 speak Mandarin, Cantonese, French, Spanish and English. Other languages may be available by appointment.
• Match with experienced professionals. Counselors have experience dealing with the unique challenges faced by students.
• Multiple session support. Call in to schedule an appointment for short-term sessions with a dedicated counselor via phone or video.
• Shared identities. Students can connect with counselors with similar backgrounds or identities.
• Free and confidential. K-Staters get support at no charge. Info is kept confidential within the limits of the law.

Reducing stigma

All In donors helped expand the Bandana Project, a suicide awareness program that teaches people how to lean in and help K-Staters who are struggling. Trained students learn how to immediately connect students in crisis with campus resources.

When people display their green bandanas — tied on a backpack, tucked into a pocket — it’s a powerful symbol that they are allies when it comes to suicide and mental health awareness.

K-State is helping this movement grow. Universities in neighboring states reach out to K-State to learn how to start this powerful program on their own campuses.

The Bandana Project gives our K-State community a way to advocate for mental health, suicide awareness and emotional well-being. It gives people confidence to reach out to those who may be struggling — and it reinforces that we’re all here for each other.”

Chris Bowman, director of the Morrison Family Center for Student Well-Being

Looking forward

All In keeps K-State on the leading edge. Donor-funded professional development has trained K-State therapists on emerging approaches like these:

Helping students on the autism spectrum transition to college

Students on the spectrum may struggle developing friendships or finding a variety of things they’re interested in. Based on research showing how tabletop role-playing games help students interact and collaborate, K-State plans to initiate a Dungeons and Therapy group — based on the Dungeons and Dragons game — later this year for people with social deficits.

New strategies for enriching group training

Staffers will attend AGPA Connect, a conference by the American Group Psychotherapy Association. They’ll bring back new ideas for expanding K-State’s group therapy options, which serve groups ranging from grad students to LGBTQ K-Staters to people who have experienced trauma. The conference spotlights up-and-coming approaches to make therapy sessions more dynamic and effective.

New intensive trauma treatment in single-session therapy models

The expectation is that it takes weeks of therapy — if not months or years — to resolve trauma issues. But this new approach yields some fast results up front. From AGPA, K-State therapists learned how to increase the potency of trauma interventions in a single session.

For students on the spectrum, college is a big shift. Maybe they’re going to struggle developing friendships with people, having social connections or finding a variety of things they’re interested in.”

Kodee Walls, assistant director, Counseling and Psychological Services