Content Warning: This article contains references to gun violence.
Tenille Gaines will never forget Feb. 13.
Gaines, who assumed the role of executive director of Emory University’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) on Oct. 2, previously served as the interim director of Counseling and Psychiatric Services and director of Counseling Services at Michigan State University (MSU). So, when a gunman opened fire on MSU’s East Lansing campus in February, shooting eight students and killing three, Gaines found herself at the forefront of helping MSU students cope with the mental trauma of the mass shooting.
“Feb. 13 is a day that will probably be etched in our lives no matter where we are,” Gaines said. “What was important for us was to make sure that we were providing trauma-informed care during that time and really being aware and sensitive to the needs of our students.”
A vital step, Gaines said, was recognizing that MSU’s counseling services could not do it all. She collaborated with faculty and staff, as well as MSU Residence Education and Housing Services, to expand students’ support network across the university.
Now, nine months later, Gaines is using this experience to inform her approach to CAPS at Emory. She hopes to collaborate with Campus Life departments, such as Student Health Services, the Office of Health Promotion and Office of Respect, as well as academic colleges and student organizations to build a “community of care.”
Gaines entered her role amid years of student complaints about CAPS. Residence Hall Association (RHA) Vice President of Advocacy Hannah Liu (25C) said that mental health was a common concern raised in an RHA survey of several hundred residents this semester. Specifically, Liu said students expressed that they want increased promotion and accessibility of campus resources.
Additionally, students have consistently raised concerns about long wait times to schedule CAPS appointments. However, according to Gaines, the average wait time for an intake consultation is one to three business days, while students with urgent needs can be seen the same day.
Associate Vice President for Health, Well-Being, Access and Prevention James Raper said this misconception arises because there are typically longer wait times for recurring sessions. He explained that it can take four to six weeks to schedule an appointment with a particular counselor around a client’s classes, labs and work.
However, Gaines does not think students’ concerns about mental health are unique to Emory.
“Your generation and generations under you have been through so much,” Gaines said. “As we look at racism, discrimination, we look at the social political climate, there’s been so much that you all have had to contend with that many of us have not had to … in the younger year of life.”
This discrimination, Gaines explained, can create barriers to accessing mental health care services. To combat this, Gaines said she aims to foster inclusivity at CAPS through means such as diverse hiring, leaning on her own experiences as a Black woman and first generation college student.
CAPS eliminated session limits at the start of the semester after previously capping appointments at eight per academic year following an initial screening. Raper said he brought the idea to Emory after seeing the benefits of unlimited sessions at Wake Forest University (N.C.), where he previously served as the assistant vice president of health and well-being.
Session limits are “distractions” for both clinicians and clients, because they shift the focus to the number of remaining sessions rather than the client’s immediate needs, Raper said.
“What I find is more valuable is remove that distraction, or what I would very much describe as a red herring related to this issue, and focus on what is the individual student need,” Raper added.
Under the new approach, counselors will work with students to develop an individualized care plan, which can change over time. Emory students currently attend an average of five sessions per academic year, according to Raper, who expects that figure to remain relatively consistent under the new model.
Although Raper said about 16% of the campus community utilizes CAPS, which he noted is double the rate of similarly sized institutions, he believes removing session limits will encourage more students to explore CAPS’ resources.
Gaines also wants to improve CAPS’ intake process. To begin working with CAPS, students must use the office’s appointment portal, which is only open from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekdays, to schedule a 15-minute phone call with a clinician to assess their needs and how they qualify for CAPS’ services. Gaines explained that this can limit students’ access to CAPS, so she hopes to keep the appointment portal open outside of business hours and extend the initial phone calls to 30 minutes.
Liu applauded the decision to remove session limits and extend the intake appointment time, noting that some students rely on CAPS’ free services as their only form of counseling. However, she added that these changes are not comprehensive.
“The issue is that people aren’t able to meet with their counselor, they aren’t able to receive that counseling,” Liu said. “Removing that limit won’t be that helpful to those students who their issue may not be needing more counseling sessions, but more regularly.”
Raper added that although it is important to clear up misconceptions about CAPS that might discourage students from reaching out, he welcomes students holding them accountable.
“They care about mental health and they’re using their voices,” Raper said. “That’s what students are supposed to do.”
Getting to know students and listening to their concerns is the foundation of achieving these changes, Gaines said. She participated in RHA’s town hall event earlier this month to address student questions.
“The thing that I continuously see is just that fear: the fear of the unknown, the fear of, ‘Will the person behind that door truly understand who I am?’” Gaines said. “It’s my goal to make sure that we’re doing the training that we need, but that we’re also in community with our students so we’re not just behind these four walls of 1462 Clifton Road, but we actually really know our students and find ways to engage with everyone.”
Liu added that she is excited to see the future of CAPS under Gaines’ leadership.
“While I can’t be responsible for everything that happened prior to my arrival, I do recognize that I may be responsible for everything thereafter and that you may hold my feet to the fire,” Gaines said. “What I’m asking for is just some patience and knowing that a lot of these changes will take time.”
If you or someone you know is struggling in the aftermath of gun violence, you can reach Emory’s Counseling and Psychological Services at (404) 727-7450 orhttps://counseling.emory.edu/ or the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Disaster Distress hotline 24/7 at +1 (800) 985-5990.
