By Althea and Anna
First Year Deans (And Upperclass Deans!)
- We cannot stress enough that Katrina Glanzer – the first year dean – is AWESOME.
- We highly recommend utilizing her for any and all concerns that come up – she can help direct you to other resources and streamline services, as well as just talk one on one about any complications. This includes having trouble accessing services, having a problem in the classroom, or anything inhibiting happiness at Haverford! She can help you brainstorm ideas and clue you into resources at Haverford that you might not know exist.
- How to Access: If you email Dean Glanzer, she answers generally really quickly and will let you know when she’s free. This is a super easy-to-access resource!
Office of Academic Resources!
- The OAR is great – they provide a really good mix of individualized and group services for all students. Below is a list of resources, and how to access them:
- Peer Tutoring: This is a good way to get extra help in a specific class. There are multiple ways to schedule an appointment with a specific tutor or make a general request to get placed with someone. https://www.haverford.edu/academic-resources/peer-tutoring/find-tutor
- Academic Coaching: This is a great resource that Haverford provides that often isn’t advertised enough! Sometimes, it isn’t a specific class causing an issue but just a feeling in general that things are piling on! Academic Coaching is an unlimited service that the OAR provides where they’ll meet with you to talk through general academic practices–– things like organizing and scheduling, skimming more effectively, blocking out large assignments, and balancing academic drive with self care! To access, you can either go to walk in hours or schedule with an individual coach through this link: https://www.haverford.edu/academic-resources/coaching-training
- The OAR also has a ton of links to various learning resources that most people definitely don’t know exist, having college approved guides is super awesome and this database is a one-stop shop for help! https://www.haverford.edu/academic-resources/learning-resources
- The OAR also has a ton of group workshops for a lot of the skills that the Academic Coaches offer. Workshops cover topics like Time Management and Semester Blueprinting, which are really important! Throughout the year, the OAR also holds regular events for topics like strategies to destress. Pro-tip: there are really good snacks and Insomnia Cookies at those events. They want you to come! The best way to stay up-to-date with OAR programming is to subscribe to their weekly newsletter, which has tons of useful info. You can do that here: https://haverford.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=98866e2a8b629b8286770212f&id=174b027e79
- Finally, the OAR has a really great page with the times and locations of a lot of the question centers for various subjects like the MQC and CQC! If you’re wondering what resources you have available or forgot where the room is, check out this page: https://www.haverford.edu/academic-resources/academic-review-centers
Access and Disability Services
- At any point, Access and Disability Services are a really important resource for many students on campus. We’re going to focus on mental health accommodation services, but it should be stressed that this also encapsulates a wide variety of other resources on campus.
- Reports of experiences with ADS are honestly varied, it can be hard to figure out how to jump through the hoops to get the accomodations you need. However, this shouldn’t deter anyone from trying!
- A few tips: while we recognize that this isn’t an option for everyone, it is honestly helpful to get parents involved. If this is an option for you, we recommend utilizing parents to put pressure on ADS if necessary, and being an advocate alongside you for your needs.
- Whether or not you can get parents involved, it’s definitely helpful to have an adult in the picture. For First Years, this would generally be Katrina Glanzer, who can help you streamline your process of working out ADS services and accommodations, and figure out strategies with you. For Upperclassmen, this can be your dean, which you can figure out by looking up online. Having an adult to advocate for you is (unfortunately) really helpful on this campus.
- If possible, thinking through current issues in your academic life and possible accommodations that can help alleviate those struggles before going to your meeting can aid in advocating for specific accommodations.
- It is never too late in the semester to get accommodations! Mental Health isn’t predictable, and ultimately ADS always wants to help students be successful at Haverford.
- We know the process of obtaining accommodations can feel overwhelming, but it can be really helpful for tailoring your academics to match your mental health. Breaking down the process into smaller steps can be a great way to take big strides.
- *Pro Tip – if you have Mental Health concerns that affect your housing options, ADS can help you obtain Housing Accommodations for Mental Health!
- Check out this link to access: https://www.haverford.edu/access-and-disability-services/accommodations/receiving-accommodations
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) — Second floor of Stokes
CAPS is a full-time counseling service for Haverford students. You can go to CAPS for one appointment or many (there is no limit on the number of appointments and this is a FREE service). You can also specify whether you want to meet with a male or female counselor if that is important to you. There are also several support groups that you can read about on the CAPS website that are designed to be collaborative and validating environments that are perfect for students who want support from their peers as well as a trained counselor.
How to Schedule an Appointment:
The CAPS website is: https://www.haverford.edu/counseling-psychological-services and you can use their site to schedule an appointment. However… it can be pretty tricky to get an appointment, especially if you are using their online scheduling service. Patty Rawlings is the person who organizes all CAPS logistics, and her email is: prawling@haverford.edu. But Patty is an incredibly busy person and it’s possible that an email to her will get lost in the shuffle.
What to do:
- SCHEDULE EARLY — if you wait until midterm time to schedule an appointment it’s going to take longer to find an open spot because a huge portion of Haverford students need extra help around this time. If possible, try setting up an appointment at the beginning of the semester by emailing Patty Rawlings (when she is less busy!)
- IF YOU NEED AN APPOINTMENT RIGHT AWAY: Just walk into the CAPS office on the second floor of Stokes and approach Patty at the front desk. If you talk to her in person and bring a schedule with ALL of your available times with you, it’s more likely that you will get an appointment right away.
- DROP-IN HOURS are from 11am–12pm and 2pm–3pm Monday through Friday. You can go to drop-in hours if you need immediate help, and if you keep showing up and asking for a regular appointment, you’re likely to get one.
- GET PARENTS INVOLVED. We know that this isn’t an option for everyone, but if you’re really having trouble getting a regular appointment time and your parents are willing and able to help out, it is really effective to get them involved. CAPS will always respond more quickly if they are feeling pressure from parents.
- GROUP THERAPY SESSIONS are also available if you need something quickly but can’t get an individual session.
- IF ALL ELSE FAILS: There are a variety of places and people that you can go to on this campus to get the help you need even if CAPS is logistically difficult to navigate.
- DEFINITELY talk to your dean if you have concerns about the way your mental health is impacting your academics, or if you need an adult to help you advocate for yourself in CAPS (first-years — Katrina Glanzer is fantastic! She will absolutely help you get the help you need).
- Go to Health Services! You can always call Health Services and make an appointment to talk about your mental health. After having a conversation with a doctor or nurse in Health Services, they will not only be able to give you advice on next steps, but it’s likely that they will be able to help you navigate the CAPS system. Keep in mind, however, that Health Services are not free and your insurance may not cover the entire cost (although one appointment won’t be that expensive).
We have to warn that not all experiences at CAPS are positive. It’s possible that you might not like your therapist or that a counselor might have an approach that is unhelpful or feels invalidating. Don’t feel like you are stuck with the first person you get assigned to. If you don’t like your therapist, ask to switch! If you feel uncomfortable with a dynamic in your sessions, trust yourself and ask if you can try someone new. This should be a helpful experience, and there’s nothing wrong with advocating for yourself! Lots of students switch during the semester!
Student Mental Health Groups:
Active Minds
- If you’re on this blog page, you’ve already found us! We are the only group linked to a National Organization advocating for Mental Health. We have conversations about grassroots strategies to improve dialogue about Mental Health on campus, spreading information, working to reduce stigma, and cluing the Haverford Community into what’s going on.
- How to Access: we meet on TUESDAYS from 8-9 in VCAM! Feel free to contact with any questions through our website, or by emailing any of us individually!
Healthy Minds, Healthy Bodies
- This group is organized by Kelly Wilcox, who is super awesome. Meetings of HMHB generally focus around updating students on different mental health initiatives going on on campus, and asking for input on what other things need to happen. This group works closely with the administration of Haverford to initiate change – and is a great group to join if you’re interested in making Haverford Mental Health Services better!
- How to Access: Email Dean Wilcox! Meeting times vary based on everyone’s availability, so she can get you on the list for signups!
Haverminds
- This group is a student run discussion group on Mental Health! The meetings are semi-confidential to preserve student privacy and create a safe space. This is a great group to join to talk about relevant mental health conversations and contribute to creating a trusting environment for mental health dialogue.
- How to Access: Email: haverfordminds@gmail.com to get on the list!
While all of these groups are great resources for more general mental health concerns, we also want to recognize that many people find mental health support in affinity groups and discussion groups for various umbrellas of identity, and stress that these are some really awesome resources for people on campus.
