Georgia Tech Expands Mental Health Services with Satellite Locations

Click image to enlarge Shiraz Karaa, Satellite Counselor Download Image

Georgia Tech’s Counseling Center has expanded its staff and mental health services with the launch of a satellite counselor program. Through the program, clinically trained and licensed Counseling Center staff are now stationed in the College of Engineering and the College of Computing.

“We are so excited to be expanding our services to satellite locations,” said Dr. Carla Bradley, director of the Counseling Center. “We believe that this program will add a new layer of accessibility and convenience for our busy Georgia Tech students.”

The satellite counselor program is designed to make mental health resources more accessible to students.

“It allows us to meet students where they are, in the places that they are studying and learning and meeting with their faculty and academic advisors, and that helps to reduce resistance or hesitancy to come to the Counseling Center or the Center for Assessment, Referral, and Education,” said John M. Stein, vice president for Student Life and the Brandt-Fritz Dean of Students Chair.

Services are not restricted to students enrolled in engineering and computing. Any student can stop by for informal conversation or walk-in consultations during office hours. The goal is to provide an option that is more convenient with a more relaxed approach to seeking help.

“The satellite counselors offer open walk-in consultation hours to accommodate students who have a brief, non-crisis concern they want to discuss with a counselor without having to complete paperwork. Additionally, faculty and staff can consult with the counselor about a student of concern during these hours,” said Dr. Irene Dalton, assistant director for satellite clinical services.

If a student needs more support than a brief consultation can offer, they can visit the Center for Assessment, Referral, and Education (CARE) in the Smithgall Student Services (Flag) Building for an initial assessment and schedule an appointment for individual counseling. If on-campus individual counseling is recommended after the assessment, the student can request to be paired with a counselor in their academic building instead of a therapist in the Counseling Center.

“My hope for the program is that we will be able to have counselors in all of our six colleges,” said Stein.

In the future, the satellite counseling staff will work together with the colleges to provide mental wellness workshops geared toward the unique culture and context of each satellite location. To learn more about this program and other Counseling Center services, visit http://counseling.gatech.edu/content/satellite-counselors or contact the Counseling Center at 404.894.2575.