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Local agencies collaborate with Eastern Gateway on mental health
By Justin Wier
YOUNGSTOWN
Arthur Daly, vice president of Eastern Gateway Community College’s Youngstown campus, said the campus has already seen an uptick in visits to its career services area since two local agencies began providing peer supporters to connect students with mental health services.
“It’s something that has opened my eyes in terms of how students are coping with the challenges of today,” Daly said.
Daly reached out to Alta Behavioral Healthcare and COMPASS Family and Community Services after a student died by suicide on the campus in February.
“Our whole staff went through mental-health training, and we thought it was important as we were identifying students [with issues] ... to reach out ... about how we can better service our student population,” Daly said.
The Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board helped facilitate the collaboration.
“The project that COMPASS and Alta developed is a perfect fit for the community college,” said Duane Piccirilli, executive director of the mental health board.
“By placing peer workers on site, they are there not only to be a resource to the students and faculty, but also to share their experience,” he said.
COMPASS and Alta have peer supporters on campus 20 hours a week spread out across four days. There, they can talk to students about their experiences and help connect them with counselors or other services.
“We know that anybody going into college, it’s very stressful,” said Joe Caruso, president and CEO of COMPASS.
“There are a whole bunch of added stressors that come along with entering into the college realm,” he said.
Victoria Evans, a peer supporter with COMPASS, said she’s received good feedback from students.
“Someone told me I make it a lot easier to come talk because people are not aware there is so much help for mental health,” Evans said. “I can let them know I’ve been through what they’re going through, and I’ve come through it.”
Jamie Miller, clinical director at Alta Behavioral Healthcare, said the goal is to connect with students and guide them to treatment.
“[These are] people that have life experience with mental health issues themselves,” Miller said. “They have received treatment and are in recovery.”
Miller said Alta staff will also talk to students in intro-level psychology classes about the signs and symptoms of depression and suicide.
“The important part for me is we feel very strongly, as a community mental health organization, that we need to be a resource to the community whenever and wherever we can,” said Alta CEO Joe Shorokey.
Daly said the university is starting slowly, but as the student population grows, they may look into having a counselor on campus.
“[Our enrollment is] up 15 percent from last year,” Daly said. “Our numbers are growing. Our need for student support is growing, so that could be an avenue we pursue.”