From Teen Vogue:
“The need for mental health services on campuses across the country has intensified during the pandemic. With it has come an increased awareness among college counselors and administrators about the importance of meeting the needs of every student — especially those who hold marginalized identities and may have experienced extraordinary hardship over the past two years.
“While grappling with pandemic-related challenges and typical college student woes, Black students may be dealing with increased public attention on police brutality and distress in their communities, for example. Latino students may be grappling with heated debates on immigration policy that affect their loved ones, or the challenges of straddling two different cultures. LGBTQ+ students may face questions about gender, sexuality, identity, and acceptance.
“Kelsey Moran is a counselor and coordinator of LGBTQIA+ counseling services and programming at the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts. ‘When we’re working with them, we’re not just working with them and their anxiety,’ she said of the LGBTQIA+ students she serves. ‘We’re working with them and their full background and identity as an understanding of self.’
“Research shows mental health treatment is more effective when it’s in line with the client’s culture and when clients perceive their therapist to be culturally competent. But many colleges are still figuring out how exactly to care for students from underserved groups. Others, like College of the Holy Cross, have been able to rely on systems they built before the pandemic to help students through a particularly difficult time….”
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