Two Clemson colleges collaborate to provide embedded counseling for students

The Clemson University School of Architecture has tapped College of Education faculty and students to provide on-site services to students in an innovative approach to improving student well-being. Faculty and counselors-in-training from the College of Education’s clinical mental health counseling program provide drop-in hours on Wednesday and Thursday each week in Lee Hall for students to discuss issues they are facing as students or in their personal lives.

According to Professor of Counselor Education Corrine Sackett, the concept of embedded counselors in a school of architecture is not new. However, Clemson stands out by having the service provided by another college on campus and by counselors-in-training.

“Students in this discipline—like any other, really—can tend to be perfectionists, have high stress and put in long hours as projects come to a close, so it’s never a bad idea to have someone on hand that can help talk through things or just generally decompress,” Sackett said. “Instead of hiring a full-time, licensed counselor, pulling in faculty and counselors-in-training from the College of Education allows students to get the services they need while helping our graduate students get the training they require.”

After initial discussions beginning August 2023, the partnership developed through CU Grow, a yearlong professional development program for Clemson staff members. College of Architecture, Art and Construction Student Services Director Shay Vinson developed a plan for embedded counseling as her CU Grow project in 2024.

“My daughter struggles with mental health issues stemming from her cancer treatments as a child,” Vinson explained. “My philosophy has always been to treat my students as I would want someone to treat my own children.  You never know what someone is dealing with, so if we can offer some convenient and localized support, it’s a win-win.”

Her plan also built upon the work of Associate Professor Dina Battisto, who leads the School of Architecture’s Health and Wellness committee.

Sackett fulfills the role of a licensed therapist and on-site clinical supervisor, allowing Juliana Moore and Raney Kelley, both practicum students in the clinical mental health counseling program, to work one-on-one with architecture majors for counseling support. The program’s records are connected to Clemson Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) so that documents are synced and available between the embedded program and Clemson’s broader array of services.

Moore said that since she has no prior knowledge of architecture, she is learning a great deal about each student and what they study simultaneously. Moore said she is passionate about the college student population, so the opportunity and timing of the role lined up perfectly for her.

Moore and Kelley require 100 total hours of work, with a minimum of 40 direct hours with students, to satisfy their requirements for practicum in the counselor education program. Future internship students who are further along in their training and need a greater number of counseling hours may provide the counseling for this program as it expands.

“I think anyone entering into a conversation with a counselor finds that it’s a learning process; we can’t just say ‘here’s your solution,'” Moore said. “It’s been exciting to help them understand that our job is to work through the issues with them.”

A survey that Vinson completed of the first year of the program revealed promising results, including:

• 75% of students surveyed said that they somewhat or strongly agree that they have noticed benefits in the School of Architecture since the program started. 
• 75% of students surveyed that have used the service said they would not have otherwise sought counseling at CAPS if this had not been housed conveniently in Lee Hall. 
• 66% of faculty surveyed said that the program has helped them save time by referring students with mental health concerns to the embedded counseling program. 
• 100% of faculty, students, and staff surveyed agree that the program should continue.  

“It’s greatly improved my ability to teach to be able to refer students in crisis,” one faculty member noted in the survey. “Before, I spent a significant amount of time that I should have been preparing for class directly counseling students and referring them to the right services.”

In the future, as a planned doctoral program in counselor education gets underway, a doctoral student can step in for Sackett to provide the direct clinical supervision for future counselors-in-training. Doctoral students in counselor education will receive training on clinical supervision, so this opportunity can provide a multi-tiered training model as counselors-in-training are supervised by doctoral students and doctoral students are supervised by faculty. Sackett is also open to other colleges or units taking advantage of this embedded counseling program, allowing more graduate students such as Moore and Kelley to earn the hours they need in the field.

Sackett said the services don’t begin and end with an immediate need; she and the counselors-in-training also provide workshops and general information on healthy ways to handle stress or time management so that students can be proactive about their mental health. Teaching students to “get out in front of” issues before they become issues is a service Sackett said would apply to any college, field or area of study.

“I don’t think it’s a question of whether the need is there; I think it is a question of how we create the capacity for it,” Sackett said. “I think it is so important for us to be proactive when it comes to student mental health, so we’re hoping it will catch on.”