Outstanding Unit

The Counseling and Wellness Services staff

Counseling and Wellness Services (CWS) provides mental health counseling and support, as well as crisis intervention, for all Wright State students. In addition, CWS staff members provide consultation and education services for the university community.

Wright State serves a diverse group of students, many of whom also experience serious challenges that affect their psychosocial development along the path to a college degree. CWS is a lifeline for these students and the staff who serve them, playing an essential role in the university’s retention efforts.

CWS tailors its approach to the ever-changing needs of university students. The unit’s website features an impressive array of practical resources directed at self-screening and treatment information, all aimed at de-stigmatizing mental health services. With innovative content like video workshops, the CWS website is an invaluable asset to the Wright State community.

Robert Rando, Ph.D., ABPP, has led CWS in several new endeavors in his 13-year tenure as CWS director. His grant proposal led to the development of the Many Rooms Project, which provides suicide prevention resources for students, faculty, staff, and their family members. The unit also co-sponsors the Tunnel of Oppression. Each year, approximately 1,500 students visit the tunnel to better understand the dynamics of oppression and work towards tolerance.

Along with raising its capacity for clinical services, CWS has been extraordinarily successful in reaching underserved and minority populations. The unit has also cultivated collaborative relationships with units such as Residential Services, Judicial Affairs, and the Campus Police. In a time when everyone on campus is asked to do more with less, the CWS staff never says “we can’t” and they are always willing to assist other departments on campus.