The ACU Counseling Center is advertising mental health screenings for mental health and alcohol disorders online at www.acu.edu/mhscreening. The screening is anonymous, confidential, free of charge and available for anyone browsing the ACU website.
Steve Eller, counselor at the University Counseling Center, said although screening is available to anyone, it primarily target the student body. Screenings for depression, bipolar disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, alcohol, eating disorders and generalized anxiety disorder are all offered as well as resources for suicide prevention, he said.
The only feedback provided is a generic message at the end of the test which advises subjects whether or not to seek further aid from Counseling Center. The Counseling Center itself receives no feedback from the exams beyond a report of the number of subjects who have taken a given test, and Eller said the responsibility lies entirely with those taking the exam to seek help, if advised.
However, if participants need immediate help, Eller said they should contact the ACU Police or dial 911.
The service began last fall through Screening for Mental Health Inc., a nonprofit company who has partnered with ACU to provide anonymous screenings. SMH provides generic screening tests to a variety of institutions – from colleges to assisted-living facilities, to government agencies and private corporations.
The service is intended to help students find out more about themselves and provide the ability to define their struggles, Eller said. He described the screenings as a tool giving students language to describe their struggles, enabling them to communicate them to others.
During Wellness Week, October 4-8th, all students will have the opportunity to take any one of the screenings set up in the Campus Center. Eller says to regard the screening as a mental health check-up.
If students would like to discuss their results, they are invited to contact the Counseling Center for a formal appointment, or to grab a free soda and a free session through the “Soda and Solutions” program.
