When it comes to pushing the bar for wellness resource outreach on college campuses, Syracuse University should look to the Project Lighthouse initiative, an online student-run chat service that launched last week at Georgetown University, to enhance the accessibility of mental health services.

The service’s objectives are to better connect students to professional mental health resources and alleviate the workload of the university’s Counseling and Psychiatric Services, The Hoya, Georgetown’s student-run newspaper, reports. During the 40 hours of training that peer supporters receive, students are directed to refer Project Lighthouse users to the SU peer institution’s professional counseling and health education services.

SU should consider adopting a mental health program comprised of trained peer supporters like Project Lighthouse, as implementing this resource would improve the overall effectiveness of existing campus mental health aids. This option would both help the SU Counseling Center field requests for appointments and provide a health tool that is more accessible and relatable for students who are seeking help.

Whether it is through an online chat service, phone calls or in-person visits, the availability of students who have gone through peer supporter training would be a practical supplement to SU’s current mental health resources. With a high demand for the Counseling Center’s services and a limited number of appointment slots available, increased resources would only help address mental health needs on campus.

Having a fellow member of the student body — who has also received psychology training — listen and respond to mental health queries could potentially be less nerve-wracking. Whereas some students are comfortable with traditional counseling, others may find that calling a fellow student or chatting with a peer through digital means as a less stressful way of working discussing highly personal topics.

But if SU were to consider the feasibility of a similar project, the primary concern that should be taken into consideration is the need for confidentiality in a program where students would play such an active role. Beyond a potentially awkward encounter, unintentionally dialing in to a friend or classmate could exacerbate mental health problems if there were to be a breach of health privacy. And when current counseling services are located in one of the most populated places on campus, increased anonymity for those seeking support is crucial.

The SU Counseling Center adheres to the American Psychological Association’s guidelines, which include strictly respecting students’ rights to confidentiality, according to its website. If facilitators of a program similar to Project Lighthouse were able to be held to SU’s standard — either through an outside moderator or bound by a legal contract — that would ensure the confidentiality of program users.

To make students even more comfortable with the prospect of their peers providing mental health support, the student-led nature of this resource would need to be made explicit to the student body members seeking help outside the formal route of the Counseling Center.

With students’ utmost comfort in mind and confidentiality preserved, a program like Project Lighthouse would help foster a healthier campus atmosphere by providing an additional wellness resource and teaching students how to properly navigate conversations surrounding mental health.

Published on May 2, 2016 at 1:25 am

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