In the News

CAPS Embedded psychologist Laura Monshau was recently featured in a Rackham Graduate School Q&A on "Grad Student Well-Being."  Dr. Monshau shares about common graduate students issues, resources, recommendations, and general reflections on grad school and mental health. 

A message from UM-Ann Arbor President Mark S Schlissel focuses on the importance of the UM Community taking care of our mental health.  President Schlissel wrote:

To All Members of the U-M Ann Arbor and Michigan Medicine Community:

A recent article entitled, "How College Students Can Find Mental Health Services On Campus," has featured CAPS Embedded Model and Wolverine Support Network.  Find the full article HERE.

An excerpt from the article:

March 8th, 2016

CAPS Director, Todd Sevig Ph.D., shared an update to recent advances in providing support to UM students. 

“We are the student counseling center,” he said. “We don’t exist just to exist for me, for the professional staff, and we don’t technically exist for the University. When we wake up in the morning our sole purpose is to care about is you, and your 43,000 other classmates.”

Dr. Sheryl Kelly, Coordinator of CAPS Inclusive Excelleance Initative, discussed CAPS support in a recent article, "False hate crime reports spur further concerns campus saftey and inclusivity" in the Michigan Daily.

A lot of students are being impacted by current events, so when they come in, I ask how they are doing in the current campus climate, Kelly said.  We have many students that come in who specifically identify that as a problem.

In a recent Michigan Daily article, "CAPS expands programs, releases new suicide prevention videos," Kaela Theut (Daily Staff Reporter), describes CAPS recent and previous work in suicide prevention at UM.  

Theut shared highlights from the new videos released by CAPS, as well as comments from CAPS Coordinator of Suicide Prevention, Jamye Banks Ph.D.

On Novermber 3rd, 2016, the Michigan Daily covered CAPS efforts and perspective on election-related stress. In addition to interviewing students, two CAPS staff members offered their perspective on trends and support available on campus.

Mishelle Rodriguez, CAPS staff psychologist and Coordinator of Social Media, offers these thoughts:

On Monday, October 10th 2016, CAPS Director and Associate Director of Community Engagement and Outreach spoke to LSA Student Government about how students can continue to support mental health on campus.  Students organized an entire day of mental health events, which ended with the panel. 

Find more information about the panel and other events during the day as the Michigan Daily covered the event HERE

CAPS stands in solidarity with the Asian Pacific Islander Desi/American (APID/A)  communities in the face of the most recent attacks, murders, and expressions of anti-Asian bias and violence.  These acts of hate, in the context of the global pandemic, the attack on the US Capital, and acts of racial violence against Black communities are undoubtedly impacting the mental health and well-being of our student communities.  Direct and indirect exposure to such events is troubling, concerning, and can be traumatizing and result in many emotional and physical reactions.

THIS Michigan Daily article featured CAPS support to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD.  The Daily interviewed two CAPS staff on the topic, Dr. Vicki Hays and Dr. Jim Dolan. 

Dr. Vicki Hays shared the following regarding SAD:

The Michigan Daily surveyed 400 students with a focus on imposter syndrome.  The survey looked at how UM students compare themselves to others in relation to intelligence.  In THIS ARTICLE, Dr. Christine Asidao was featured as an expert from CAPS.

The pandemic has caused major disruptions in planning for holidays, and school breaks this year. While going home may be the option for some students, others may have plans to stay put. Whether you plan to go home, or stay in Ann Arbor there are different ways you can enjoy this time. If you are alone, or unable to visit family you regularly would, try a virtual dinner party.

October 2, 2017

The Michigan Daily recently covered Todd Sevig, Director of CAPS, in a Central Student Government meeting.  The meeting addressed the ways that CAPS is planning to expand mental health services.  Sevig is quoted:

It’s crucial that I … as director of CAPS — we, as CAPS — are here, engaging, listening, answering questions,” he said. “In the last approximately 15 years, we’ve almost doubled in size. We are starting a national search for new positions. We have been newly funded, if you will, for six new positions in CAPS.

November 14th, 2016

In a recent LSA Dialogue Event, CAPS discussed efforts prior to and after the Election to support students. 

“It’s important to note that the election has taken a toll psychologically,” Sevig said. “We are not here to say that if you are feeling strong emotions, then you need therapy. We are here to say that things that could be therapeutic and healing is important. There is no one way of coping or making sense of this is going to work for all of us.”

Todd Sevig, Director, and Christine Asidao, Associate Director for Community Engagement and Outreach, were recently featured on Bloomfield Township Cable Television.

They addressed issues related to college student mental health on a program called "Managing the Problems of Daily Living," hosted by Dr. Linda Sircus.

Find the full video HERE. 

CAPS is featured in the recent Michigan Alumnus Magazine article "Helping and Healing."  The article describes CAPS recent efforts to address stigma and meet student needs, an increase of UM mental health student organizations, and campus events focused on mental health.  

The recent work of the CAPS Student Advisory Board and CAPS In Action were also highlighted in this article, as well as student experiences of overcoming their own mental health challenges.

Find the full article HERE.

CAPS In Action (CIA), a new student organization within the University's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) that “puts the CAPS initiatives in action," shared their thoughts on how faculty at UM can support mental health in an article that was published in the Michigan Daily.

CIA shared three suggestions including this experience from one of it's members:

A recent article on the UM Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion web page has featured CAPS efforts to increase mental health support on campus.  Every student receives an Mcard to serve as their UM ID card for their career here at U of M.  Now, the Mcard has CAPS After Hours Information on the back.  

Several universities, including UM Counseling and Psychological Services, were highlighted in a recent article found in Inside Higher Education for their work with embedding counselors around campus.  This has proven to be a new way to address needs of students and expand access to mental health support.   

In a recent Michigan Daily article, reporter Katie Penrod describes CAPS new efforts to provide mental health support for UM Students after hours.  

Penrod goes on to write, "Partnering with a company called ProtoCall, CAPS will now give students the option to call a mental health hotline after its office in the Michigan Union closes at 7 p.m. The hotline will be open whenever CAPS is not — including weekends and school holidays."

University of Michigan Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) shares about the success of the Embedded Model in this Michigan Daily article.  

In commenting about the "Embedded Model," CAPS Director Todd Sevig said, “Our goal is to increase support, but not just to increase by doing the same old thing,” Sevig said. “We really wanted to grow in this new way, and that new way is a direct, local service delivery, local meeting within that particular place. And it also meets the needs of the schools and colleges.”

University of Michigan Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) encourages UM campus to "go beyond the surface" and engage in a community of caring.  This Michigan Daily article from CAPS Director, Todd Sevig, shares the recent suicide prevention work including a video filled with messages from students for students.

Read the Michigan Daily article here.

Find out more about Messages of Hope and other Suicide Prevention efforts here.

University of Michigan student and Michigan Daily columnist Victoria Noble, writes about her journey of reaching out for help at UM Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).  Noble shares about her initial hesitation and the stigma attached to mental health.  Eventually, Noble seeks support at CAPS and encourages other students to do the same.

Read Noble's story in the Michigan Daily here.

In an article in the Michigan Daily, UM Student and Michigan Daily Columnist Devin Eggert, shares her experience of CAPS.  From her first experience as a freshman, to the recent changes CAPS has implemented, Eggert writes about her new outlook on what CAPS is doing to address student needs.

Find the Michigan Daily article here.

Find more information on CAPS clinical services here.

The American Psychological Association (APA) interviewed CAPS Associate Director for Community Engagement and Outreach, Christine Asidao, and Director, Todd Sevig, in a recent article focused on how colleges and Universities are finding creative ways to provide suicide prevention.

Find the APA article here.

Find out more about what CAPS is doing for suicide prevention here.

University of Michigan Counseling and Psychological Services offers a free app to help promote student wellness.  Find out more about the app here.

Read the article from the Washinton Times here.