Education and kinesiology junior Deondre Scott checks his phone as he walks out of the Union Thursday afternoon. The building was opened in 1925 and has since been a social hub for MSU students.

Available for students to use starting on Oct. 1, this service will become the second MSU Counseling and Psychiatric Services, or CAPS, location.

A mental health service location is set to open on the third floor of the MSU Union.

The new student health and wellness service will house three psychologists, two counselors and a psychiatrist in the beginning, according to a university press release. But to meet student demand, CAPS hopes to eventually add four more mental health providers.

CAPS is also working to hire two counselors to be stationed on the other side of campus in South and East neighborhood.

Since June, CAPS has added seven new health and wellness service providers to its staff. They've also launched a 24-hour counseling access app called "MySSP" for students.



After it was established, CAPS was without a director for over a year. Last semester, a search led by a committee made up of students, counselors and directors of various student health programs resulted in three final candidates for the position. And, at the Board of Trustees meeting in April, Mark Patishnock was appointed as the director of CAPS.

The other Counseling and Psychiatric Service location is on the third floor of the Olin Health Center building.