Minot State University places great emphasis on mental health

Minot, North Dakota – At Minot State University, classes have resumed, and the situation can rapidly become difficult for the students.

The Stepped Care model is a mental health program that empowers students to achieve their maximum wellness potential at MSU.

Your News Leader discussed the benefits of this program with a student who is campaigning for it as well as with the management of the Student Health Clinic.

It might be challenging for students like Wardah Husain to be away from home.

She claimed that on certain days, she speaks to her mother for hours at a time.

She stated that the Stepped Care program meets kids where they are and that at the end of the day, her mental health comes first on her list of priorities.

“I think the new Stepped Care model is great because it offers you the kind of help that you need and it’s great for the administration too because it allocates resources more appropriately,” said Husain.

Other institutions across the nation have successfully used the Stepped Care model, according to Debra Haman, director of the Student Health Clinic & Counseling.

She added that the team is expanding to include a new case manager who will serve as a link between the neighborhood and students in need.

“We’ll also be working with students to fit their needs. So, if students walk in their moment of need, the case worker will be working with them to utilize the Stepped Care model as well as the TAO (Therapy Assist Online) and any other service that they may need,” said Haman.

Clinical mental health counselor Troy Roness stated that the environment for mental health services is rapidly changing and that he believes they have a duty to stay up with those changes and even get ahead of them.

“Stepped Care at Minot State University is a holistic approach that addresses prevention through intervention,” said Roness.

Roness added that the approach enables pupils to receive the assistance they require, neither more nor less.

A first-year review of Stepped Care outcomes at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, according to Amanda Duchsherer, a digital communication specialist for Minot State University, revealed a 56% decrease in wait times for new students from their initial request to their first appointment and a 61% decrease in crisis appointments overall.

Therapy Assist Online is working on developing the Minot State University app.

It will be introduced in the middle of the semester and will be accessible to all students at any time.