Mental Health Resources at UNCA

Neve Pollard
Published January 2016
For college students, the phrase Dont worry, be happy, common in American culture,
may be easier said than done.
According to the American Psychological Associations website, the state of mental
health on college campuses is a growing crisis. Common mental health issues seen on campus
throughout the United States include depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, alcohol abuse, eating
disorders and self-injury.
Mental health advocacy plays an important role on campus at UNC Asheville, said Jay
Cutspec, director of the health and counseling center.
I encourage students to be their own advocate concerning the well-being of their mental
health, Cutspec said. Beyond that, the counseling center offers outreach programs on campus
in order to attract students to our resources.
The centers outreach programs bring a plethora of new students to the counseling center,
Cutspec said, and in order to properly accommodate them, the counseling center has walk-in
hours allowing students to be seen the same day they visit the center.
Despite this, some students still struggle to access the center. Beck Martens, senior
sociology and women, gender and sexuality studies student, said scheduling a meeting with the
health and counseling center is difficult because of the centers limited weekday hours.
I dont understand why the center is open only during class time, Martens said. It is
inconvenient for busy students.
Cutspec said the most common mental health issue seen on campus is anxiety. Common
physical characteristics associated with anxiety are headaches and stomachaches. Because of
this, he said the health and counseling aspects of the center are closely connected so mind and
body can be treated at the same time.
The counseling center initially introduces students to stress reduction strategies such as
deep breathing, meditation and relaxation exercises. Beyond this, it is up to the student to
continue visiting the center, Cutspec said.
The counseling center offers several programs to students who seek to improve their
mental health. Current programs include The Daring Way and Dialectical Behavior Therapy.
I would say everyone should go through DBT, because it teaches emotional regulation,
life skills, and coping mechanisms, said Cutspec. It helps with stress management.

James Posedel, certified Daring Way facilitator at UNCA, said the program helps students
create authentic personal connections. The program is based on research by Brene Brown that
shows the way human connection is found through vulnerability. Posedel said the group meets
twice a week for eight weeks and attempts to address how fear and shame affect human
relationships and how to overcome it. Less than ten students comprise the group each semester.
A student with a mental health diagnosis in need of academic accommodations should
contact the Office of Academic Accessibility at UNCA, Cutspec said.
The OAA counts mental health diagnoses as a form of disability for which students can
receive accommodations.
The biggest disabling factor for people with disabilities, whether its a mental disability
or not, is the misconceptions and preconceived notions of others, said Joshua Kaufman,
Director of the OAA.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 defines disability as a physical or mental
impairment substantially limiting one or more life activities of an individual. Kaufman said the
reauthorization of the act two decades later allowed the government to more thoroughly define
what a major life activity is. According to the ADA, a major life activity is defined as major
bodily functions as well as functional activities such as learning, reading, concentrating,
thinking, communicating and working.
The ADA prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for persons with
disabilities in employment, state and local government services, public accommodations,
commercial facilities and transportation. Kaufman said the ADA, combined with Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, creates the guidelines of the OAA. Section 504, a civil rights
statute, prohibits discrimination against students with disabilities and ensures their right to a fair
educational opportunity.
In order to receive accommodations through the OAA, Kaufman said students should
first establish a relationship with a clinician who can provide documentation of functional
limitations. He said the student should meet with the same clinician at least three times before
moving forward with the OAA. If a student doesnt know where to start, Kaufman says the OAA
and Counseling Center offer clinician referral lists.
Generally I use the term clinician because that covers medical doctors, psychiatrists,
mental health professionals, learning specialists, psychologists, family physicians any sort of
professional in the field, Kaufman said.

After establishing a relationship with a clinician, the student can move forward with the
process, Kaufman said. Instructions and required documents for registration can be accessed on
the OAA website.
The next step would be an intake interview, Kaufman said, when a student meets with an
OAA member to discuss what functional limitations are present and what accommodations are
available for the student based on their situation.
Testing accommodations, such as extended time for tests, testing in a smaller setting,
priority registration and the ability to record lectures or have a note taker are common
examples, Kaufman said. Occasional leniency for class absences and the ability to excuse
oneself for a few minutes from the classroom are common accommodations for students with
mental health diagnoses.
Although the ADA passed 25 years ago, Students with mental health disorders still face a
significant amount of misinformation, misunderstanding and stereotyping, Kaufman said.
The OAA strives to help the UNCA community understand the disabling element is not in
the student, but in the environment in which the student interacts, Kaufman said. He said he
promotes social accessibility so students feel comfortable in their classroom environments.
Oliver Richards, a junior classics and sociology student from Raleigh, North Carolina,
said he didnt learn about the OAA until he became an employee for UNCA.
I had no idea about the OAA until Josh gave a presentation on it, he said. Raising
awareness of the OAA for students would be great because I am not sure if many students know
about it.
Cutspec said the health and counseling center and the OAA work together to help
students in need of assistance.
Id say at some point in everyones life they need counseling, and counseling serves to
help people function better and to think about things differently, he said. I encourage students
who are experiencing mental health issues to take advantage of these available resources.